Many families will soon unite together on a very special day by giving thanks for life's blessings, as well as celebrating the arrival of the new Holiday season. Thanksgiving Day is also an occasion where we honor the courageous souls of the first European colonists that settled upon American soil. Referred to as the Pilgrims, this group of people sailed across the fierce Atlantic Ocean to obtain freedom for their lives. Mother Nature also produced her own form of wrath, which eventually took its toll amongst the settlers.
During the year of 1620, a map consisting of the eastern portion of America was extremely vague. The Pilgrim's decision to land upon the shores of Massachusetts was not entirely up to themselves, but rather Mother Nature. Upon their arrival off the coastline of New England, oceanic conditions consisted of high seas and persistent wind. Due to such circumstances, the pilgrims made landfall earlier then what was expected. In fact, they had hoped to arrive in New York Harbor, rather then the coastline of Massachusetts.
The Pilgrim's small and relentless ship, the Mayflower, arrived at the head of Cape Cod on November 19, 1620. It was here where they found themselves perched near dangerous rocks due to the fierce weather. However, a prominent south wind assisted the Pilgrims to retreat from danger where they eventually found a calm bay north of Cape Cod. Taking advantage of clear skies and calm seas for the two days that followed, the Mayflower dropped anchor on November 21, 1620.
Due in part towards the discovery of written archives from the Pilgrims, meteorologists are able to understand the weather that the colonists experienced during their first winter season. It is believed that Mother Nature provided a mix of harsh and mild conditions throughout the many days that followed the Pilgrim's arrival in America. The men and women faced brutal conditions for the first month of their new life. During this time, many ocean storms produced significant amounts of snow and rain. By December 21st, the weather became drastically calmer. This provided opportunity for the Pilgrims to officially mark their landing at Plymouth Plantation.
Many Pilgrims recorded that the weather conditions were predominantly mild during much of January 1621. A brief spell of cold weather produced snow and sleet during the early portion of February, but then returned to mild conditions in time for the forthcoming spring. Despite the general warmth during the winter of 1620 and 1621, nearly half the Pilgrims succumbed to disease and weather related illnesses. With this said, we should be thankful for these settlers because they granted us a life of freedom. It is my hope that you will remember these people and that your Thanksgiving Day celebration will be filled with peace and joy.