Cousin on the Mayflower

Today is Thanksgiving, a day we celebrate the first and oldest annual holiday tradition in (what would become) the United States of America. As you probably already know, it is the 1st year celebration of harvest after the Mayflower ship landed in Plymouth rock in 1620.   But what I didn’t know until recently is that the Dutton family has ancestor who was not only the Mayflower, but is the guy responsible for founding this tradition of Thanksgiving.  This holiday has even more significance now that I’ve learned I had some ancestry on the Mayflower.  His name is Edward Winslow.  He and his wife, brother, a servant, and young 8 year old child who had been entrusted into his care (check out the story of orphaned or dumped children on the Mayflower) were on the Mayflower in 1620 when it landed at Plymouth Rock.  He began writing and documenting the pilgrim’s experience in the New World.  Most everything we know about the their first year comes from this one man.    That winter was incredibly harsh and cruel.  Edward lost his wife and the child in his care, along with nearly 50% of the people on the Mayflower.   Edward and his family are on the bottom-row 3rd from right (click to open bigger pic).   His brother is the last person on the bottom row.  He survived.  (entertaining video about this chart by a snarky feminist gggrandchild of Winslow here) (another video with good details here)

Those who made it to the first Thanksgiving in 1621

 Despite the epic loses and tragedies of that first year, Edward survived and went on to establish numerous diplomatic relations with the native Indians – including the Mayflower Compact, the very first seeds of democracy and government in the USA.   This is significant because Europeans had already been visiting the Americas for more than a century, but none had attempted to establish a colony/government separate from England.  The Pilgrims came to form a colony based (motivated) entirely on their evangelical (protestant) Christian beliefs, and to live in a land where they could practice their religion freely and govern their communities democratically.    Edward not only managed to help create a first village and first government, but also a first harvest that would become the first religious holiday (thanksgiving) which would last for centuries to come.   It is interesting to note that the Indians who came to the party outnumbered the pilgrims by almost double (90-50).   There is a TREMENDOUS amount of information on online about the Pilgrims, Thanksgiving, and Edward Winslow.  I can only suggest you search ‘Edward Winslow’ on Youtube or Google to find hours and hours worth of details and data to sift through.  The details of Edward’s life are it is VERY fascinating.  So much drama and tragedy and triumph in these stories.  More than I can write about there.  So I encourage you to check out the videos and links below…  Links with more in-depth information:

• Fox News Origin Story: https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/meet-american-gave-nation-thanksgiving-origin-story
• Edward’s Wikipedia page:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Winslow
• Smithsonian: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-edward-winslow-plymouth-hero-thanksgiving-180961174/ 
• World Encyclopedia: https://www.worldhistory.org/Edward_Winslow/  
• Unsung Pilgrim: https://www.mayflower400uk.org/education/who-were-the-pilgrims/2019/june/edward-winslow/  
• Some info on his portrait:  https://www.pilgrimhall.org/pdf/Edward_Winslow_Portrait.pdf  
• List of the Mayflower Passenger List  
• The Mayflower Compact: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower_Compact
• Story of the unwanted, dumped, and orphaned children on the Mayflower (the first pro-life activists):  https://www.mayflower400uk.org/education/who-were-the-pilgrims/2019/august/children-of-the-mayflower 
• Interesting story of George Soule, Edward Winslow’s indentured servant who joined him on the Mayflower: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLURYMFSl30

  You can also watch this series by National Geographic on the first years of the Pilgrims.  It is unique in that it emphasizes the fact that the Pilgrims were not the first white people to come to the Americas. They were not opportunists, but instead oddballs.  They were religious folk seeking to stay in the New World, rather than exploit it and get rich.    This series is also available on Amazon Prime.

  Edward Winslow’s story is well-documented in encyclopedias, museums, and online.  Here is a brief 2 minute overview… 

Edward Winslow also has a statue in his hometown of Droitwich, plus he is included in a famous 1899 painting of the Mayflower Compact signing… 

Edward Winslow statue at St Andrews Square, Droitwich, Worcestershire, UK

1899 painting of the signing the Mayflower Covenant with 41 of the ship’s 101 passengers; the Mayflower was anchored in Provincetown Harbor within the hook at the northern tip of Cape Cod.