PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, USA
11/12/13
Plymouth is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Plymouth holds
a place of great prominence in American history, folklore and culture,
and is known as "America's Hometown." Plymouth was the site of the
colony founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims, passengers of the famous ship
the Mayflower. Plymouth is where New England was first established. It is
the oldest municipality in New England and one of the oldest in the
United States. The town has served as the location of several prominent
events, the most notable being the first Thanksgiving feast. Plymouth served as
the capital of Plymouth Colony from its founding in 1621 until the
colony's merger with the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1691.
As one of the country's first settlements, Plymouth is well known in the
United States for its historical value. The events surrounding the history of
Plymouth have become part of the mythology of the United States, particularly
those relating to Plymouth Rock, the Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving.
Throughout the 19th century, the town thrived as a center of ropemaking,
fishing, and shipping, and once held the world's largest ropemaking company. While
it continues to be an active port, today the major industry of
Plymouth is tourism. Pilgrim Hall Museum, the oldest continually operating museum in
the United States, is located in Plymouth.
The Mayflower first anchored in what would become the harbor of Provincetown,
Massachusetts on November 11, 1620. The ship was headed for Virginia, but
eventually reached New England. There are varying theories as to how this
happened. They include: violent storms threw the ship off course; a navigation
error; the Dutch bribed the captain to sail north so the Pilgrims
would not settle near New Amsterdam; and the Pilgrims on the Mayflower,
who comprised only 35 of the 102 settlers aboard the Mayflower, hijacked
the ship to land far from Anglican control. The Pilgrim settlers, realizing
that the party did not have a patent to settle in the
region, subsequently signed the Mayflower Compact.
The Pilgrims went on to explore various parts of Cape Cod, but soon a
storm and violent skirmishes with local Native Americans forced the migrants to
sail westward into Cape Cod Bay. The Pilgrims eventually came across the
sheltered waters of Plymouth Harbor on December 17. The appealing protected bay led
to a site in the present-day Harbor District being chosen for the new
settlement after three days of surveying. The settlers officially disembarked on
December 21, 1620. It is traditionally said that the Pilgrims first set
foot in America at the site of Plymouth Rock, though no historical
evidence can prove this claim.
The settlers named their settlement "Plimouth" (also historically known as "Plimoth",
an old English spelling of the name) after the major port city
in Devon, England from which the Mayflower sailed. Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom,
was named after its location at mouth of the River Plym.
In 2010, the population was 56,468. February is normally the coldest month
with average temperatures between 16 and 34 degrees Fahrenheit. The warmest month
is usually August with average temperatures between 63 and 85 degrees F.
April is normally the rainiest month with an average of 8.24 inches,
with a yearly total of 51.46 inches of rain. I was surprised
to learn that they don't get much snowfall. February is normally the
snowiest with an average of 3.3 inches, and a yearly total
of 7.8 inches of snow.
I hope you have learned something about Plymouth, Massachusetts
and enjoyed this trip.
~Marsha~ TO SEE PICTURES OF PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, CLICK HERE
This is a MelloMarsha creation
I do not take credit for the pictures
Thanks to the respective photographers
10-11-13