The Pilgrim Fathers were traitors, a band of renegades defying the authority of King James I. That was the official version.

The pilgrims believed that they were true Christians, determined to "purify" the Christian church and return to a scripture-based service. These "Puritans" were not satisfied with the reforms introduced after the separation of the English church from the Catholic Holy See in Rome.

Nevertheless, the Puritans were seen both as seditious and heretical for their beliefs. The King's agents persecuted them.

In 1593, the English parliament outlawed independent congregations. Attendance of English (Anglican) church services was made obligatory. But across the country, groups of Puritans continued to gather.

Where it all began ... Scrooby church

One of these small renegade congregations began to meet in 1606 in the village of Scrooby in Nottinghamshire - living under the constant threat of imprisonment or even execution. After three years, they were forced to flee. Several attempts to settle in other parts of England failed. They had to emigrate, via Amsterdam to Leiden in the Netherlands, where their religious views were tolerated.

But in 1618, after less than a decade, they decided to move again. They had economic problems and wanted to preserve their heritage. Furthermore they feared another Spanish Catholic invasion of the Netherlands, which would have threatened their newly found religious freedom.

The pilgrims resolved to settle in the English colony in North America, hoping that in this remote outpost the King's officials would leave them undisturbed.

Their emigration was financed by a group of so-called "merchant adventurers", who in return were promised a share of the fruits of the pilgrims' labour in the new colony.

In the summer of 1620, they crossed the channel to England. There, joined by a group of colonists recruited by the merchants, they embarked on the ship Mayflower. In September they finally left England.

There were 102 passengers on board, about half of them Puritans. After a stormy 66-day crossing they dropped anchor off Cape Cod (near today's Provincetown, Massachusetts), on November 11, 1620.

From there they explored the coast for five weeks, until they found a favourable place where they decided to establish "Plimoth plantation", one of the first English settlements in North America.

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage	©