On September 6, 1620 (Old Style calendar, often dated September 16 in modern accounts), the Mayflower departed from Plymouth, England, carrying a group of English Separatists and other settlers bound for North America. The voyage was difficult, with storms and cramped conditions for over 100 passengers and crew. The group sought religious freedom and new economic opportunities abroad. After more than two months at sea, the ship arrived off Cape Cod rather than its intended destination in Virginia. The passengers eventually established Plymouth Colony, one of the early English settlements that influenced later American political and cultural traditions.
