A queue dutifully formed in front of a small
construction project enclosure along the waterfront in Plymouth, Massachusetts
as tourists, eager to see the Plymouth Rock many of them learned about in
elementary school, waited to see the famous boulder.
Work to update the display area to better preserve
the surprisingly small rock meant that the partial glimpse people could catch
of Plymouth Rock through a small window in the enclosure was unsatisfying and
offered no photo opportunity to document their visit on a stifling hot day this
past September.
A better and more interesting opportunity to learn
more about the Pilgrims and their landing in the New World was just a short
walk down the street where the Mayflower II stood ready to receive visitors.
Many of us believe we know the story of the
Pilgrims, their crossing and their subsequent relationship with Native
Americans as they settled into their new home, but the story told to young
school children often suffered from a certain tinge of myth and misinformation.
Efforts to present a more accurate version of events continue at interpretive
sites like the Mayflower II and nearby Plimoth Plantation.
Research failed to find pictures of the original
Mayflower, so the Mayflower II is a meticulous representation of the original
ship based on specifications common to ships of the same time period. There are
a few concessions like a staircase, instead of a ladder, leading below deck and
electric lighting in particularly dim portions of the ship designed to accommodate
modern visitors and their ability to more readily tour the ship.
Warwick Charlton, a veteran of World War II from
England, envisioned a recreated Mayflower as a way to celebrate the close cooperation
enjoyed between his country and the United States during WWII. Charlton’s
search for a home for Project Mayflower led to approaching Plimoth Plantation,
the interpretive museum dedicated to the colonial and Native communities in
Massachusetts during the 1600s. Museum officials agreed to maintain and exhibit
the Mayflower II in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Construction of the recreated vessel began in 1955,
using period-specific materials. Upon completion, the ship launched under her
own power in 1957 and made the crossing to a new home in America. The ship
visited several U.S. ports before setting in Plymouth under the auspices and
ownership of Plimoth Plantation.
Stepping aboard the Mayflower II gives you a
relatively realistic idea of the cramped conditions endured by the Pilgrims as
they journeyed overseas. When you learn that 102 passengers made the trip, and
one baby was born during the passage, you gain an even better understanding of
their hardships during the voyage.
Guides stationed throughout the Mayflower II explain
many of the ship’s features. One of our guides explained how ship’s deck prisms
inlaid into the deck allowed light below deck. I’d seen these conical pieces of
glass sold as paperweights in various museum gift stores without ever knowing
their true use as safe alternatives to candlelight or other dangerously flammable
lighting options.
Costumed interpretive role players lent an extra
touch of authenticity to our visit. We talked to the man immersed in the role
of a ship’s master, who confided in us about his concerns over the large
expense involved in keeping his ship afloat.
Role players undergo extensive training. Costuming
and a dedication to recreating the dialect and attitudes contemporary to the
1620s are key components in recreating a character that enriches visitors’
understanding of the true story of the times and people who sailed aboard the
original Mayflower.
© Dominique King 2008
That looks soooooo interesting, I'd love to experience that and learn hands on.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by: marina | November 25, 2008 at 09:46 AM