The Mayflower Voyage and the Origins of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving didn’t begin with turkey. It began with a voyage that nearly didn’t make it.
Thanksgiving started with a ship.
The Mayflower.
The 1620 voyage wasn’t the first settlement.
Spanish, French, Dutch and earlier English colonies were already there.
So why does the Mayflower get all the glory?
First - the voyage.
66 brutal days at sea.
Storms, sickness, freezing conditions.
They slept on a cargo deck not meant for people.
Most never stepped outside.
A survival story, not a cruise.
Halfway across the Atlantic the main beam cracked.
They repaired it using a screw-jack from the ship’s cargo.
Genuinely remarkable.
Second - the Mayflower Compact.
Before stepping off the ship they wrote an agreement.
A tiny seed of democracy… born onboard.
Third - the narrative stuck.
William Bradford wrote detailed journals.
Other colonies didn’t.
This one had a story people remembered.
Fourth - Lincoln made it national.
During the Civil War he declared Thanksgiving a holiday…
and tied it to the Pilgrims.
By the first Thanksgiving, only half the colonists were alive.
Their first harvest. With help from the Wampanoag. Became the feast we know today.
The Wampanoag taught them how to survive that first winter.
Without that knowledge. History would look very different.
Additional Facts:
- 102 passengers, 30 crew.
- Two died, two babies born.
The Mayflower Compact:
- Rule by consent
- Community decisions
- Shared purpose
- 41 men signed
The Maritime Origins Series
Maritime Origins is a storytelling series created by Jason Nangle, Founder of Angle Recruitment, a global maritime recruitment and executive search firm.
The series explores the fascinating history behind everyday phrases that originated at sea, as well as the remarkable stories, traditions and characters that have shaped maritime culture.
Many sayings still used today were first spoken by sailors navigating the challenges of life on board ships. Alongside these phrase origins, the series also highlights lesser-known maritime stories, legends and historical moments from the world of shipping.
Through short stories and visual posts, Maritime Origins connects the language, heritage and traditions of seafarers with the modern maritime industry.
New posts in the series launch every Tuesday on LinkedIn and are then shared across other platforms including Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and X. Follow
Jason Nangle on LinkedIn and Angle Recruitment across your preferred social platforms.
The word 'yacht' started life as a Dutch pirate hunting ship, long before it meant luxury. The story behind the name.
The phrase Dutch courage began in the 1580s, when Dutch soldiers drank jenever before battle. The English took the habit, the gin, and turned the name into a jibe.
Discover the maritime origin of “slush fund” - from greasy ship leftovers sold ashore to one of history’s most infamous phrases for hidden money.
