The Mayflower and Her Log; July 15, 1620-May 6, 1621 — Volume 1

The author assembles and analyzes contemporary documents to reconstruct the 1620–1621 transatlantic voyage of the Pilgrim colonists, bringing together passenger lists, correspondence, ship papers, and scattered records into a sequential, log-like narrative. Chapters examine the vessels and crews, the hiring negotiations and Merchant Adventurers, embarkation and the problems that forced consolidation of passengers, and the daily incidents of the passage. Careful citation accompanies efforts to correct earlier errors, propose revised lists of passengers and investors, and reassess the roles and reputations of key participants, aiming to clarify the chronology and material circumstances that shaped the ocean voyage into the New World.