Margaret King Moore Essay Contest

Essay Prompt:

The Pilgrim’s Legacy in 21^st Century America

The Pilgrims had a significant and lasting impact on American history. The Pilgrims began their journey on the principle that all Americans hold dear: freedom. To escape religious persecution in England, the Pilgrims boarded their ships, the Mayflower and the Speedwell, and set a course for the new world. Mayflower set sail from England in July 1620, but it had to turn back twice because Speedwell, the ship it was traveling with, leaked. After deciding to leave the leaky Speedwell behind, Mayflower finally got underway on September 6, 1620 (Plimoth.org). After surviving harsh and stormy seas, Mayflower and the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in present-day Massachusetts. While settling, they began by setting up their self-governance. As historian Rebecca Fraser wrote in her book The Mayflower: The Families, the Voyage and the Founding of America: “Plymouth Colony was the first experiment in consensual government in Western history between individuals with one another, and not with a monarch.” The Mayflower Compact was the first constitution of the new world, and undoubtedly paved the way for similar documents such as the Declaration of Independence and even the United States Constitution. The Mayflower Compact was not only important to the new world; the document contrasted sharply from other documents of its time such as the Magna Carta. The Pilgrims that signed the compact pledged loyalty to laws and government they were creating themselves rather than the decrees of a king. Countless parallels can be drawn between the ideals expressed by the Pilgrims and the ideals the United States was founded on. Striking themes include religious freedom, self-governance, and participation in government. The actions of the Pilgrims were so influential that U.S. President John Quincy Adams acknowledged the importance of the Mayflower Compact, referring to it as “perhaps the only instance, in human history, of that positive, original social compact, which speculative philosophers have imagined as the only legitimate source of government” (History.com). The practice of holding town meetings started at the Pilgrim settlement and spread throughout colonial America. This theme of self-governance combined with a sense of individuality set the stage for the American Revolution. American communities thought of themselves as independent, and rightfully so. When Britain’s practice of salutatory neglect ended, colonists were not giving up the self-governing practices inspired by the Pilgrims. Without the Pilgrims, America would have developed differently. The Mayflower Compact was a vital document to early American History and influenced the public policy of generation to come. Their ideas of freedom and self-governance are precisely what the United States was founded on. Despite their small settlement, their influence on 21st century America is astounding.

Essay Prompt:

The Pilgrim’s Legacy in 21^st Century America

In thinking about the legacy of the Mayflower, we must acknowledge the strength and cohesiveness the pilgrims displayed in the face of great challenges. We can look to them as role models as we deal with the unique difficulties we currently face in America.

Their example and experience are especially pertinent in our world today. As we battle a dangerous and deadly virus such as COVID-19, while our country is so divided on matters of race and class, and on what constitutes our core values.

The Pilgrim’s voyage and period of establishing a colony were times of severe health issues. First, the grueling and sometimes violent conditions resulting from rough seas left most suffering debilitating seasickness. Second, there were the illnesses encountered after landing at Plymouth (brought by earlier arrivals from Europe and borne by the natives). Finally, they suffered deprivation due to food scarcity. The combined result was the death of half of their number.

It took incredible fortitude on their part of endure and conquer the many challenges they faced on their journey. We can only imagine what life was like, with more than 100 passengers, plus a sizeable crew packed into a 100 foot ship. No personal space, no privacy, no opportunity for normal hygiene rituals, barely tolerable food quality, awful odors, short tempers, and seasickness for much of the journey. Many must have wondered how they would survive. It must have been most stressful for those children who didn’t even have the comfort of being with their own families.

A critical factor in achieving their goal was the ability of all the travelers to band together and work as a unit, despite their differences and distinctions. They differed in ideology and intention, some seeking religious freedom while others primarily sought a better life. Class represented a most significant difference, with some being masters, and others, servants. And gender was the basis for far more discrimination in roles and status than we experience today. Yet despite these differences, both during the journey and most notably after landing, one of the greatest strengths was their ability to work as a unit, supporting each other through illness and despair. There was no room for separate factions, or for anyone to insist on making his or her own decisions.

Today, we face a very real challenge; a virus that has killed a half million of our citizens. Fear and the need to contain the virus have crippled our economy. “COVID fatigue” plagues us after a year of restrictions and missed experiences. Confined to our mostly comfortable homes, with provisions available at well-stocked stores and many digital means of connecting with those we can’t see in person, we complain, and we take stuff for granted. On the Mayflower they did not have all of these luxuries.

We would all do well to recall the plight faced by the Pilgrims, as well as the fortitude and unity with which they faced their challenges. It was not easy, and there were enormous costs. But they ultimately succeeded, and 400 years later, we still can appreciate their achievement and emulate them.

The Mayflower Pilgrims’ Contribution to Early American History

It is never easy being first. Paving the road is more strenuous than traveling the road. The Mayflower Pilgrims faced adversity and hardship to forge a new life in a new place with no creature comforts or basic necessities.

Today, we apply the term “pioneer” to anyone who forays into new territories, whether that be technology, social reform, science, or even politics. This new pioneer is a far cry from the Mayflower Pilgrims who embodied the true form of the word i.e., starting from the proverbial ‘scratch’. Not only did these brave men and women arrive at a location that was far off course from their original destination (Massachusetts vs Virginia), there was nothing formalized waiting for them; for example, no established housing, no established government, and no established code of conduct other than what they brought with them (Mayflower Compact). Arriving in November 1620, the Pilgrims had few provisions. Through true grit and perseverance, half of the original colonists had survived to see spring. With renewed spirit, the colonists planted crops and built a life in a world unknown and uncharted.

That spirit is the Pilgrims’ legacy. That determination to not only survive, but also to succeed is the basis of the American dream. Americans around the world have a reputation of being tough and resilient in the face of adversity. For a recent example, see the following graphic:

This is the hashtag that has circulated most recently on social media platforms because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has reached devastating proportions throughout New York State. This novel viral threat has no predecessor; and therefore, no proven course of action that will beat this beast. The world has no battle plan at the ready to fight. The only thing with which we are armed is a thing that was bestowed upon us Americans by the Mayflower pilgrims: grit and perseverance in the face of extreme adversity. This is our only battle cry in a time of uncertainty.

The Pilgrims’ contribution to early American history in 1620 was to build everything from nothing. This was done by sheer determination to succeed. The Pilgrims’ gift to those fighting on the front lines in 2020 is still valid and sorely needed. Our way of life has drastically changed from what we once knew. It will never be the same again, even after this pandemic is under control. We will wear our battle scars with pride, and we will rise again to create from the ashes something worthwhile, something better. We will take the difficult lessons learned and again build everything from nothing, stronger than before and better for surviving adverse conditions.