More than a three-hour tour Pilgrim Tercentenary Commemorative Silver Half Dollar Coin

Today, the Pilgrim Tercentenary Commemorative Silver Half Dollar Coin remembers 395 years ago when two ships sailed from the English coast for a new beginning.

The Illustrated American, Volume 11, published in 1892, included an article by Frank H. Norton titled “Founders of New England.”

An excerpt of that article provides information about the beginning of the journey to a new land:

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Of course, at that time a voyage across the Atlantic was a formidable incident, and it can be readily imagined how the Puritans discussed its dangers and its annoyances as they talked the whole matter over at Leyden.

Some of them were very hopeful, but others were not only cautious but despondent as to the prospect. Very vague and uncertain ideas were abroad with regard to the natives of the unknown country, such impressions of them as the following being bruited about:

That they “delight to flay men alive with the shells of fishes, cutting off the limbs by piecemeal and broiling them on the coals and causing them to eat the collops of their flesh in their sight, while they lived.”

It is not a little remarkable that, in regard to the result of this adventure abroad, the first cruelties that were committed were those of the white men upon the natives.

Eventually, there was deliberation also as between the choice of Guiana and Virginia as a future abiding-place.

There was great glamour in regard to Guiana, derived from Raleigh’s picturesque accounts of this empire, much of which was wholly imaginary, but whose capital was known by the Spaniards as the famous El Dorado.

Raleigh had sailed up the Orinoco four hundred miles looking for this fabulous city. He did not find El Dorado, but his description of the country through which he passed was most striking and attractive.

The Pilgrims, however, were wary and canny. They preferred a section of country on which the English nation had some claim.

The Spaniards, who held the land described by Raleigh, might prove more cruel than the savages of the North, so the deliberation ended in favor of the northern portion of what was then called Virginia; but, as has been seen, with the sufficiently harsh terms of the articles of agreement between the adventurers and planters.

At last, after great tribulation and difficulty, the arrangements for embarkation were made. A small ship of sixty tons was provided in Holland, while another of one hundred and eighty tons was hired in London and sailed from Southampton, where the first was to land.

Before leaving Leyden for Delfthaven, twenty-four miles south of that city, where the little ship Speedwell was lying ready to receive them and convey them to Southampton, their pastor gave them his farewell advice. “We are now, ere long, to part asunder, and the Lord knoweth whether we shall ever live to see each other’s faces again. I charge you, before God and His blessed angels, to follow me no further than I have followed Christ. If God shall reveal anything to you by any other instrument, be as ready to receive it as ever you were to receive any truth by my ministry. I am very confident that the Lord has more truth and light to break forth out of His Holy Word.”

The Speedwell sailed from Delfthaven, July 22, 1620. This interesting event has been depicted, and a painting now exists in the Capitol at Washington — the work of Robert W. Weir, painted in 1845, and entitled “The Embarkation of the Pilgrims.”

The Speedwell was commanded by one Reynolds, master, and after a voyage of a week she reached Southampton, where the ship Mayflower, Jones, master, was waiting for her.

Active preparations were now made for the prosecution of the voyage, the company being distributed between both ships; and so, on August 5, 1620, they sailed from Southampton.

It was discovered, however, that the Speedwell was leaking, and eight days later both vessels put into Dartmouth, where the Speedwell was repaired, which took another eight days, when they both put to sea again.

After about three hundred miles’ sailing, however, complaint was again made of the condition of the Speedwell, and both vessels entered the harbor of Plymouth.

Very much of this delay and trouble would appear to have originated in the anxiety of certain members of the company, who began now to find their fears of the unknown stronger than their desires for freedom of religion.

Certain it is, that at Plymouth it was determined to let the Speedwell, with a selection of the company, return to London, while the Mayflower, with all on board who had determined to risk the voyage, sailed alone.

The final departure of the Mayflower, from Plymouth and from England, took place on September 6, 1620.

The Mayflower was a stanch vessel, and though buffeted by storms, once or twice seriously and even dangerously injured, and forced to lie to in the trough of the sea for even days together, yet she sailed securely across the ocean, and on the ninth of November fell in with the land called Cape Cod, ” the which being made known and certainly known to be it, they were not a little joyful.”

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The Pilgrim Tercentenary Commemorative Silver Half Dollar Coin shows against an image of Charles Austin Needham’s painting of the Mayflower, circa early 1900s.

Pilgrim Tercentenary Commemorative Silver Half Dollar Coin