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Naturalization Swearing-in Ceremony, 16 September 2020

To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims MSMD will host a naturalization ceremony featuring Pilgrims escorting new citizens to their swearing-in ceremony! Because there were 102 passengers on the Mayflower, 102 Mayflower members in Pilgrim dress will walk arm in arm with 102 recent immigrants as they get ready to be sworn in as US citizens at a naturalization ceremony.
Click here for helpful information on costumes

We are looking for volunteers to help with this event, both before, during and after the ceremony. You can volunteer to help out whether in costume or 21st century dress. Please see our Volunteer Sign-Up event as well!

If you need further assistance or information, please email Cynthia Tinney. You may also call or email the Mass. Mayflower Office,  or call us at 781-875-3194. 

 

The General Society of Mayflower Descendants

REVISED 2020 Mayflower Logo2020 will soon be upon us, marking the 400th anniversary of that heroic voyage and the founding of Plymouth Colony. GSMD, one of the most honored hereditary organizations in the world, is taking this opportunity to commemorate our Pilgrim ancestors and to share their inspirational story and impact with those near and far. 

GSMD recognizes that 2020 is a once-in-a-lifetime, unique experience for Mayflower descendants. Events include the Mayflower II Anniversary Gala in Provincetown; a reenactment of the signing of the Mayflower Compact; a sure-to-be memorable Pilgrim Progress march through Boston, culminating in the official State House salute to the 400th anniversary; and the Mayflower Society’s 400th Anniversary Black Tie Gala, in addition to tours and other activities.

Whether you are vacationing in America’s Hometown over the summer of 2020 with your family, donning your Pilgrim best at your local Member Society Mayflower Compact Luncheon, or attending the historic 42nd Mayflower Congress in September as a Mayflower Society member, there will be many opportunities to participate. Be sure to check the GSMD website for more details.

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribemwt logo white new 

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, also known as the People of the First Light, has inhabited present day Massachusetts and Eastern Rhode Island for more than 12,000 years. After an arduous process lasting more than three decades, the Mashpee Wampanoag were re-acknowledged as a federally recognized tribe in 2007. In 2015, the federal government declared 150 acres of land in Mashpee and 170 acres of land in Taunton as the Tribe’s initial reservation, on which the Tribe can exercise its full tribal sovereignty rights. The Mashpee tribe currently has approximately 2,600 enrolled citizens.

102nd Anual Mashpee Wampanoag Powwow (Pawâw)

will return to Mashpee on July 1, 2, and 3. The 2023 annual pawâw features special events, contests, food, vendors, drumming and dancing will be held on the Pawâw Grounds at the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Community and Government Center.

Vendor applications are now available by clicking here. You may also contact Amber Tubbs at (508) 477-0208 ext 134 for additional information.

Gates open daily at 10 AM.

Kuwneepuyômuw (Welcome)!

Contact between Native and non-Native people is often seen as a singular event at a particular point in time. Contact is in fact and ever occurring experience between those surviving indigenous peoples in a place and those who continue to arrive and settle within and around indigenous communities.  The "History and Culture of the Mashpee Wampanoag" page on their website has a rare timeline from the Native American perspective.

New England Historic Genealogical Society

NEHGS 2020 logoAmerican Ancestors has launched Mayflower.AmericanAncestors.org, an interactive website providing extensive resources for researching Mayflower passengers and connecting family historians with Mayflower descendants. The site features a variety of databases of value to Mayflower researchers, as well as biographic sketches from NEHGS scholar Robert Charles Anderson’s Pilgrim Migration. A modern Mayflower descendants reader-submitted gallery—the first of its kind—is found there, as are personal statements about what Mayflower ancestry means. An interactive world map, showing the location of these descendants, and a celebrity gallery of famous Mayflower descendants are also features of the innovative website.

Key elements of NEHGS programming to commemorate the Mayflower’s 400th anniversary include exciting NEHGS Mayflower Heritage Tours—exclusive tours directed by NEHGS experts that explore the sites of the Mayflower's inception and journey. 

  • In June 2020 NEHGS will lead a tour to the United Kingdom for a visit to Plymouth, Southampton, and Dartmouth, England, with world-renowned NEHGS Great Migration scholar Robert Charles Anderson as our guide. The tour will focus on the events leading to the embarkation of the Mayflower in 1620—a journey that would change the world.
  • “A New England Sojourn” in June 2020 and again in September 2020 will be two exclusive, three-day visits to historic sites in Massachusetts associated with the Pilgrims, including Plymouth, Provincetown, Duxbury, and elsewhere.

Information and registration for these NEHGS Heritage Tours is available by visiting AmericanAncestors.org/Heritage-Tours.

Plymouth 400 

Logo Plymouth400Visit the Plymouth 400 website to learn more about the many commemorations, including the Commemoration Opening Ceremony in Plymouth on April 24th; the Official Maritime Salute with regatta, lobster and military fanfare on June 27-28th; the August 1st Wampanoag Ancestors Walk; the Official Massachusetts State House Salute on September 14th; the Embarkation Festival on the 19-20th of September; the Indigenous History Conference and Powwow on October 29th; and finally, Illuminate Thanksgiving from November 20-25th. 

License plates! Plymouth 400 is the group responsible for arranging for Massachusetts residents to obtain special Mayflower license  plates. Ordering a plate is easy! You can visit any full service Massachusetts RMV branch and order a plate in-person, or you can order online through the Massachusetts RMV site. There is a $40 fee for the plate, and $28 of that initial fee goes directly to Plymouth 400. Each time you renew your Plymouth 400 plate, the full $40 fee is donated to our organization. These plates are available only for Massachusetts registered passenger vehicles. Questions? Visit our License Plate FAQ page or contact Plymouth 400.

Plymouth 400's website has a tremendous amount of information on  great variety of events and information from collaborating societies and organizations. 

Plimoth Patuxet 

America400Version1 ColorIn 2020, Plymouth, Massachusetts celebrated the 400th anniversary of Mayflower's arrival in Plymouth Harbor. This anniversary was not only a commemoration of the inspirational, determined spirit of our ancestors, but also marked a significant milestone of America's founding story. Plimoth Patuxet is proud to be a driving force in the first of many 400th anniversary commemorations across New England and our Nation. With this national anniversary, our Museum is committed to bringing the important lessons of the 17th century to life. By exploring new avenues of research, hosting meaningful events, installing dynamic new exhibits and creating exciting, immersive experiences, we will continue to further our mission - providing powerful, personal encounters with history for all people - in America and around the world. 

Mayflower II: Plimoth Patuxet's full-scale reproduction of the tall ship that brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth in 1620 is currently receiving a full restoration ahead of Plymouth's 400th commemoration of the Pilgrims' arrival on New England's shores! You can watch the work live on their "Mayflower Cam!" Click here to have a peek at the project!

Provincetown 400

Screen Shot 2019 07 25 at 12.02.17 PMThe year 2020 marks the 400th anniversary of the 1620 voyage from Plymouth, U.K. to the New World where the Mayflower Pilgrims first landed in what is now known as Provincetown, Massachusetts and signed the Mayflower Compact. After five weeks of exploration of Cape Cod, they set sail once more to establish Plymouth Colony in Plymouth, MA. These internationally significant events mark the beginning of American democracy. Democratic values of liberty, justice and freedom of expression resonate through four centuries of our nation’s history and embody the fabric of Provincetown’s identity.

Join Provincetown 400 as they tell this story both from the Pilgrim and Wampanoag perspectives and celebrate 400 years of Provincetown’s rich history with happenings, events and lots of fun.

Mayflower 400 UK

Screen Shot 2019 07 25 at 9.57.49 AMThe Mayflower 400 events program shares the values of migration, tolerance, freedom and democracy and tells the story of a ship and its passengers - a group of people that a remarkable 30 million+ US citizens have descended from. In England, the commemoration focuses on the key towns and cities that make up the national Mayflower trail. On the Mayflower 400 website you can explore the sites, attractions and places on the trail using maps and destination links. Take your own Mayflower visit to England and follow in the footsteps of your Pilgrim Ancestors – group tours, cruise excursions and tailored tours are available. Enjoy full and half day trips with via driver guides and specialist tours.

Shropshire's Mayflower Children

MayflowerLogoSmall 313x400In 1620, the four children of Katharine More of Shipton, Shropshire, were banished to America by her husband, Samuel, on the Mayflower. Only Richard survived. In 2020, they are celebrating his remarkable story. Shropshire's Mayflower Children promotes the story of the four young More children of Shipton, Shropshire. They are planning lots of activites to commemorate the Mayflower's voyage, such as seminars, a choral concert, a Mayflower Walk, and sound and light show. Their website is a great resource for information on the More family.

Mayflower 400 Leiden 2020

Screen Shot 2019 07 25 at 12.12.09 PMMuch of Leiden’s city center still looks exactly as it did when the pilgrims walked the cobblestoned streets around the Pieterskerk. Multiple Leiden partners have joined forces to create a wonderful walking tour that makes it easy for visitors to imagine how life was in the 17th century. Guided visits to the Leiden American Pilgrim Museum, the Pieterskerk and the University will allow you to understand why the pilgrims ended up in Leiden, and why it was such a dynamic place to be back then: from a 14 year old Rembrandt attending the Latin School across the street, to a botanical scientist cultivating the first tulips at the University gardens, to a huge influx of religious and economic migrants from all over Western Europe fleeing persecution and finding work in the cloth industry. Leiden Heritage is also working on a virtual reality application that can further enhance the experience of going back in time 400 years.

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