A historically even more significant colonial event occurred in 1620, when the ship Mayflower carried 102 settlers from England to the New World—13 years after the first settlers had arrived. Unlike earlier pioneers, these were a cohesive group led by a pastor, deeply religious, and motivated not only by the desire to build a new life but also to freely practice their faith on new land.

The leader of the Mayflower settlers, Pastor William Bradford, later governor of Plymouth Colony, said that the journey involved leaving the comfort of the city to build a “city upon a hill,” a spiritual quest for peace and righteousness.

The Mayflower arrived at Cape Cod (present-day Provincetown, Massachusetts) on November 21, 1620, after a 66-day voyage. Only one person died during the journey, and a baby was born on board.

Before disembarking, under Bradford’s guidance, the settlers drafted and signed the Mayflower Compact, with 41 adult men signing it. This compact became a model for countless later American covenants. It expressed the principle that people could decide their own form of self-governance by mutual consent, rather than being ruled by imposed authority.

This document, fewer than 200 words, was the first written social contract in North America and laid the foundation for the political system that would develop there. It affirmed faith in God and loyalty to the King of England. To achieve this goal, the settlers formed a covenant to create a social body in which all members pledged to obey and enforce the compact.

The Mayflower Compact was a voluntary agreement, a social contract without coercion. Its spirit was later incorporated into the U.S. Constitution and became embedded in the American ethos.

Upon landing in November, winter approached quickly. The settlers’ temporary shelters were poorly insulated, and during that first harsh winter, many died from starvation, exposure, and disease. By the following spring, only about 50 survived.

The survivors, with the help of local Native Americans, began a difficult yet hopeful new life. By 1630, 1,000 Puritans had arrived in the northeastern New World. Between 1630 and 1640, 20,000 Puritans migrated to New England, often seeking to live among like-minded people despite the perilous journey. By 1690, Massachusetts was home to 50,000 Puritans.

The concentration of America’s 17th–18th century cultural and intellectual life in the Northeast, including the location of Harvard University, traces back to the arrival of the Mayflower in the region. Had the ship landed further south, in Carolina or Virginia, the subsequent Puritans would have settled there, and the cultural and educational centers of the U.S. might have been concentrated in the South instead. The Northeast’s harsh climate and challenging conditions shaped a uniquely industrious, educated, and community-oriented society.