Pilgrims' Journey: Exploring The Mayflower II, Historic Plymouth Rock, and so much MORE
Let's explore The Mayflower 2, Plymouth Rock, The Pilgrim Monument, and More in Plymouth Massachusetts
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00:00Your destination is on the left.
00:26Hello today we're going to go to Plymouth Rock and explore the Mayflower 2 and so much
00:33more.
00:34So come with us to see what we can see.
00:37First off let me tell you it's very difficult to find parking here.
00:43The only spot that was open was on street that you did have to pay.
00:50So just be aware.
01:02Just across the street from the Plymouth Candy Company, which by the way has some really
01:08good taffy, is the Mayflower 2.
01:13At the time of our visit the Mayflower 2 was open 7 days a week from 9am to 5pm.
01:20Of course there are some holidays and bank holidays that the Mayflower 2 is closed so
01:27check before you go.
01:29At the time we visited the cost was adults $19, seniors $17.10 and children were $13.
01:40Now if you combine the Mayflower 2 with the Plymouth Gristmill and the Plymouth Patuxent
01:4817th century village combination you can save a little bit of money.
01:55To see what those prices are go to my Plymouth Patuxent video.
02:01There's so much to know about the Mayflower 2.
02:04I'm going to let my buddy Davis tell you a little more about it.
02:09Known with national treasures such as the Statue of Liberty and the Lincoln Memorial,
02:13Mayflower is an iconic symbol of freedom.
02:16Of the hundreds of ships that made the transatlantic crossing in the 1600s, she is the ship we
02:21remember.
02:22300 years later, on June 13, 1957, a full scale reproduction arrived in Plymouth Harbor,
02:29the Mayflower 2.
02:31Since then, Mayflower 2 has become the majestic centerpiece of historic Plymouth Harbor and
02:36the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
02:38In many ways, America is the product of the events that happened in Plymouth and native
02:43Patuxent over four centuries ago.
02:46The choices made, risks taken, and the adaptation of community structures to new civic realities.
02:52Mayflower 2 tangibly embodies those choices and risks for hundreds of thousands of lifelong
02:56learners each year.
02:58More than 25 million people have stepped aboard her decks to imagine the perils and contemplate
03:03the modern impacts of the historic crossing.
03:06Today, Mayflower 2 is a floating classroom and working vessel.
03:10Following her restoration and return to Plymouth in 2020, she was added to the National Register
03:15of Historic Places, illuminating that she is a historic ship in her own right.
03:20She was deemed historically significant for her association with the founding story of
03:24the United States and as a full-scale ship that embodies the distinctive characteristics
03:28of a 17th century English merchant vessel.
03:31In April 2021, Mayflower 2 received a Paul and Nikki Tsongas Award from Preservation
03:37Massachusetts in recognition of the project's significant work in historic ship restoration,
03:42and went on to win Preservation Massachusetts' People's Choice Award the following month.
03:47The fate of the original Mayflower remains unknown.
03:50However, some historians argue that it was scrapped for its timber, then used to construct
03:54a barn in Jordan's, England.
03:57Given the dangers of the journey and the rough conditions aboard the original Mayflower,
04:01it was a miracle that reportedly only one person out of 102 perished on the 66-day voyage.
04:11The arrival of the Mayflower in 1620 is one of the signature events in U.S. history.
04:16Thirty-five million people can trace their ancestry back to the original Mayflower.
04:21It is thought that there were around 30 children on board the original Mayflower during the
04:25epic voyage to America, but little is known about many of them in the historical record.
04:30During the original Mayflower's voyage, the Pilgrim's main diet is thought to have consisted
04:34primarily of a cracker-like biscuit called hardtack, salt pork, dried meats including
04:39cow tongue, various pickled foods, fish, oatmeal, and other cereal grains.
04:47Now that's one big barrel of whiskey.
04:51While you're in Plymouth, Massachusetts, obviously you have to visit good old Plymouth Rock,
04:56especially since it is right next door to the Mayflower II.
05:00Since it is an outside structure, there is no fee, which is great.
05:07For those of you who don't know the significance of Plymouth Rock, it is the site where the
05:13supposedly Mayflower Pilgrims disembarked their ship in 1620.
05:19Now there is no historical evidence that exists to confirm Plymouth Rock as the Pilgrim's
05:26actual stepping stone to the New World.
05:28However, the boulder was identified as this spot in 1741, which was 121 years after the
05:37arrival of the Mayflower.
05:39So is it the actual rock?
05:42The myth says that it is, but we will let you decide.
05:50If you have the time, I highly suggest you walk up the hill that is in front of Plymouth
05:56Rock and you will see a whole bunch of really interesting monuments, including that of the
06:04Great Protector and Preserver of the Pilgrims, as well as a monument that marks the first
06:13burrowing ground in Plymouth of the Passengers of the Mayflower.
06:19And don't forget to walk around this particular monument, because on all sides there are
06:24different stories, and one part that is particularly interesting, at least to me.
06:43Another really awesome, historically significant place that Luanne found for us, that you really
06:50have to visit, is the National Monument of the Forefathers, formerly known as the Pilgrim
06:57Monument.
06:58It commemorates the Mayflower Pilgrims.
07:01Dedicated on August 1st, 1889, it honors their ideals as later generally embraced by the
07:10United States.
07:13It is thought to be the world's largest solid granite monument, and it looks absolutely
07:22awesome and incredible, and I was awestruck.
07:29This 81 foot tall monument was commissioned by the Pilgrim Society, and the original concept
07:37dates to around 1820-ish, with the actual planning beginning in 1850.
07:45The cornerstone was laid August 2nd, 1859, by the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts.
07:54The monument was completed in October of 1888, and was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies
08:03on August 1st of 1889.
08:07And with that said, I'd like to thank the help of Davis, and we look forward to you
08:16coming with us for more adventures in Massachusetts.
08:21And as always, have a great day!