Did my Ancestors Come Over on the Mayflower?

Yesterday, we celebrated Thanksgiving.

The Thanksgiving tradition in America originated with the Pilgrims that came over on the Mayflower.

There were 102 passengers {plus crew} that came over on the Mayflower.  However, by the end of that first winter over half of those individuals had perished from

Mayflower voyage altered the landscape of America
Mayflower voyage altered the landscape of America

sickness, the journey and the climate.

Today there are only 51 Mayflower ancestors with proven descendants.  You may be asking, how do I know if my ancestor came over on the Mayflower?

So, are you one of the estimated 35 million Americans descended from those brave souls that came over on the Mayflower?

  1. Start with your own family history. Begin tracing your family tree backwards.  Did you have ancestors in the United States in the early 19th Century, during the Revolutionary War or even further back?
  2. Search Google for your ancestor’s names. You never know what information you might find.
  3. Check the list of Mayflower Passengers.
  4. Check for variations of spelling on a name.  For example, Winslow or Wynslow; Miles or Myles; etc.
  5. Check the Mayflower Generations Through Five Generations. This is a detailed listing of the first five generations and descendants of the Mayflower Pilgrims.  I recommend you visit your local research library for this book.  The book is not published online that I’m aware of.   com also contains a lot of information on the Mayflower Pilgrims that may be helpful.
  6. Research to prove or disprove if there is a familial connection.
  7. The Mayflower General Society accepts applications to join from those whom can document their ancestry back to the Pilgrims.

 

Are you a descendant of the Mayflower pilgrims?

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