T
his year marks the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower setting sail from Plymouth, England, on 16 September, carrying its 102 passengers and 30 crew to the New World. They would land in what is now Provincetown, Massachusetts, on 21 November and on 26 December the passengers disembarked on what would become Plymouth, Massachusetts. This historic journey has become an integral part of the founding story of the United States, with the Mayflower Compact an example of the governmental framework for the country to come.
However, this may not be a particularly accurate founding story for America. Indeed, as we learned speaking with Dr Simon Targett about his book New World, Inc. (co-authored with John Butman) the origin of the USA really dates back earlier and the motivations for its foundation may be both different from those of the Pilgrims and perhaps more in keeping with the image America has of itself today.
© Alamy