Plimouth Plantation and Mayflower II

Terri,Blake, and Molly picked us up this morning to drive to Plymouth, MA, to visit Plimoth Plantation and Mayflower II. These are recreations of the experience of the colonists who arrived in Plymouth in 1620.

One aspect of the Plimoth Plantation that surprised me a bit was the emphasis on the experience of the native Americans, the Wampanoag Indians. The first thing we visited was a recreation of the homesite of Hobbamock, an important Wampanoag who dealt with the colonists. Signs caution visitors not to be culturally insensitive (war whooping and referring to the people as braves and squaws are inappropriate). In one interesting exhibit, a young Native American was making a canoe by burning out a log. Visitors are encouraged to talk with the Native Americans in period costume who staff the homesite to learn about their way of life, both historically and in contemporary America.

Young Native American demonstrates using fire to hollow out a dugout canoe

Turkey soup with vegetables was bubbling in this pot

An exhibit in the Visitor Center on the "First Thanksgiving" also deals with the National Day of Mourning celebrated by Native Americans as a counterpoint to Thanksgiving celebrations. Later we walked up on Cole Hill to the statue of Massasoit where the annual Day of Mourning celebrations take place.

National Day of Mourning a Counterpoint to Thanksgiving

In the Colonial Village characters dressed in period costume play the roles of colonists, speaking from a 17th century point of view. In addition to several houses and garden plots, we saw a large central building, which was apparently a meeting hall, church, and fort (with cannons upstairs).

Colonial Village

Rooms furnished with reproductions, many created in the Plimoth Plantation craft shop

Terri checks out the cannons on the upper floor of the meeting house/church

Hawk surveys the territory

We also visited Mayflower II, a full scale reproduction of the original Mayflower, to get a sense of the experience of the people who traveled from Europe to America in the hold of a cargo ship (there were no passenger ships at the time). Just down the way a bit is Plymouth Rock (or what remains of it), ensconced in a Greek Revival pavilion.

Mayflower II sailed from England on April 20, 1957, recreating the original voyage of the colonists

Molly photographed everything in sight

Greek Revival Monument protects the rock

Historic Plymouth Rock

Ken and Molly both took lots of pictures, but at last count Molly was way ahead.

Thanks again to Terri for driving us.

After dinner we watched an episode of Masterpiece Mystery (Inspector Lewis)--a rather interesting one that kept us guessing.