The Mayflower departs from Southampton, England, carrying would-be settlers, on its first attempt to reach North America; it is forced to dock in Dartmouth when its companion ship, the Speedwell, springs a leak.

Mayflower was an English square-rigged merchant sailing ship, active from before 1609 until 1622. Her tonnage was 180+, and she was 110 feet long and 25 feet in the beam, with several decks. She was notable in that she transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620.

Copyrighted and Published by A S Burbank, The Mayflower at Sea (NBY 21340)
Copyrighted and Published by A S Burbank, The Mayflower at Sea (NBY 21340) (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Isaac Claesz. Van Swanenburg Washing the Skins and Grading the Wool
Isaac Claesz. Van Swanenburg Washing the Skins and Grading the Wool (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Embarkation of the Pilgrims
Embarkation of the Pilgrims (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Mayflower replica
Mayflower replica (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Watch: bbc documentary 2016 ¦ The Mayflower ¦ Pilgrims Behind the Myth the founding moment of America

From the Universal Documentaries HD channel.

Sources and further reading: Wikipedia — Mayflower, Southampton (CC BY-SA). Images: Wikimedia Commons.