Eagle Feathers #201 – Four-Hundred Years

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

The first Governor of Massachusetts, John Winthrop, arrived in America from England in 1630. The Governor first settled in the Ten Hills section of Charlestown/Somerville, where he assembled the first ship built in New England. He christened this ship, The Blessing Of The Bay.

Winthrop had been the Admiral of a twelve-ship fleet carrying over 1,000 Puritans to the new world. It was the beginning of what was to be known as “The Great Migration” which brought over 20,000 settlers and pioneers to New England during the next ten years. His flagship’s name, the “Eagle,” was changed to praise Lady Arbella Johnson, an honored passenger. More importantly, Winthrop brought with him the Massachusetts Bay Colony Charter.

In 1620, the Plymouth Pilgrims barely survived a hard-fought decade with nature before the Puritans’ arrival at Charlestown. The two colonies, the Plymouth and the Massachusetts Bay Colony, ultimately merged in 1691 into The Royal Province of Massachusetts Bay.

The two colonies had many interesting comparisons:

The Pilgrims

One Ship

Ship Name:  Mayflower

Mayflower Compact

November 11, 1620

Settled in Plymouth

Arrived at Plymouth Bay

Length of voyage was 66 Days

Governor Carter

102+ member crew

Captain Myles Standish

King James I

Friendly contact was Squanto

Indian Chief was Massasoit

Liberal plantation

Trading boat:  Mayflower’s shallop

Longfellow’s poem “Myles Standish”

Smallpox

Fought for Freedom of Religion

The Puritans

Twelve Ships

Ship Name: Flagship Eagle/Arbella

Massachusetts Bay Colony Charter

June 12, 1630

Settled in Charlestown

Arrived at Mystic Shores

Length of voyage was 63 Days

Governor Winthrop

1,000+ member crew

Captain Myles Standish

King Charles I

Friendly contact was Squaw Sachem

Indian Chief was Web-Cowet

Conservative plantation

Trading Ship: Blessing of the Bay

Longfellow’s poem “Paul Revere”

Smallpox

Fought for Freedom of Religion

This year, 2020, is a milestone. It marks the 400th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims’ ship, The Mayflower, at Plymouth. It also marks the 390th anniversary of the landing of the Puritans’ flagship, Eagle, at Charlestown. There is no eagle in the name of England, but there is one in New England, and its SOMERVILLE.

These two groups … looking for freedom … founded New England and seeded America.