Would YOU squeeze onto a ship smaller than a basketball court to sail across a stormy ocean?

The Day the Pilgrims Finally Said 'Let's Go!'

102 brave passengers squeezed onto a tiny ship called the Mayflower

On September 6, 1620, the Mayflower set sail with 102 brave passengers heading to America!

Picture this: It's September 6, 1620, and you're standing on a crowded wooden ship in Plymouth, England. Around you are 102 passengers — families with kids, workers, and dreamers — all about to sail across the wild Atlantic Ocean to start a brand new life!

These travelers, many of them called Pilgrims, wanted to worship God in their own way. In England, the king said everyone had to pray the same way HE wanted. So these brave folks decided to find a place where they could be free!

The Mayflower wasn't exactly a luxury cruise ship. It was only about 100 feet long — that's shorter than a basketball court! Imagine squeezing 102 people PLUS all their food, clothes, tools, and even some goats and chickens into that tiny space. Yikes!

The journey was ROUGH. Huge waves crashed over the deck. People got seasick. One massive storm cracked a wooden beam! The passengers had to fix it with a giant iron screw they'd brought along. Talk about lucky!

💡 A baby was born during the Mayflower voyage and was named Oceanus because he was born on the ocean!