Listen Now: American History Tellers | The Mayflower

0:00In the fall of 1620, a battered merchant ship called the Mayflower set sail across the Atlantic. It carried 102 men, women, and children, risking it all to start again in the new world. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of American History Tellers. Every week we take you through the moments that shaped America, and in our latest season, we explore the untold story of the Pilgrims, one that goes far beyond the familiar tale of the first Thanksgiving. After landing at Cape Cod, the Pilgrims forged an unlikely alliance with the Wappanog people who helped the Pilgrims survive the most brutal winter they'd ever known, laying the foundation for a powerful national myth.

0:35But behind that story lies another, one of conflict, betrayal, and brutal violence against the very people who helped the pilgrim survive. You're about to hear a clip from American History Tellers. Follow American History Tellers on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts.

1:04Imagine it's October 1620. It's late at night, and you're on board the Mayflower, somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. You're the captain of the ship, and you and your crew are trying to navigate your way through a violent storm. Rain lashes your face as you cling to a rope ladder, bracing yourself as another gigantic wave batters the hull. Bring the light closer. One of your sailors, a greenhorn named Thomas, holds a swinging lantern above you. You lean down to inspect the main timber beam that runs from one side of the hull to the other. You catch your breath as you discover a large crack running down the center.

1:40Oh, God help us. We can't go on like this. You and Thomas climb back down the rope ladder as half a dozen members of your crew gather around you. Thomas plants his boots wide on the lurching deck, raindrops running off the brim of his hat. What do you mean, Captain, we can't go on? She won't hold. I won't risk our lives any longer. These autumn westerlies are making this voyage impossible. It's time to turn back. Crew members stir uneasily. Thomas steps closer, his eyes burning with anger and confusion. We can't turn back. We've gone too far for that, Captain. No, we must keep pushing west. Look around you.

2:16It's been one disaster after another ever since we set sail. Delays, sickness, and now these endless gales. I never should have agreed to sail so late in the year. But we can't turn around. The passengers will have our hides if we don't get them to America. That's if any of them are left. No, but don't you understand? If we don't do the job we were hired for and see this voyage through, we won't see a penny. The ship groans under the force of another wave, and water sloshes across the deck. Every instinct is telling you to turn back, but in the lantern light, you see the desperation in the faces of your crew.

2:51Oh, God bless. Very well. We'll see if the beam can be mended. Someone fetch the screw jack from the hold and we'll try to clamp it back together somehow. Quickly! Thomas rushes off with the other sailors, leaving you staring at the crack in the beam. Against your better judgment, you've bent to your crew's will. But deep in your gut, you know the truth. This storm is only the beginning of your troubles.

3:19Follow American History Tellers on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of American History Tellers' The Mayflower early and ad-free right now on Wondery+.