A Visitor from 1627

She began by teaching the boys a common greeting from her time.  All of the boys quickly got up on their feet and gave this greeting a try.  She continued by describing her journey from England to the New World aboard the Mayflower in 1620.  Susanna and her husband at the time, William White, embarked on the journey with their son and were looking forward to practicing their religion without persecution and becoming land owners for the first time.  Susanna was pregnant at the time and gave birth to her second son on the Mayflower.  She described the difficult conditions on the ship throughout the journey.  The boys were surprised to hear the story of John Howland who fell overboard but was saved when he was able to grasp a rope that happened to be near the place where he fell in.

The hardships continued after the passengers arrived in Plymouth.  They arrived in the winter months and did not have time to build proper shelter for the difficult months ahead.  Many people did not survive the first year, including Susanna’s husband.  Susanna later married Edward Winslow, and they were the first couple to officially marry in Plymouth.  Edward Winslow became a leader in Plymouth who befriended Massasoit Ousamequin, the sachem (leader) of the Wampanoag tribe. 

Throughout her presentation, Susanna showed the boys crops that were grown, a double-baked biscuit that served as bread on the ship, and clothing from her time period.  One lucky St. B’s boy tried on an outfit that was traditional for the time.