The Mayflower Voyage: Pilgrims Departed in September 1620, Not May

Contrary to the name "Mayflower," the Pilgrims did not sail in May. They departed Plymouth, England, on September 16, 1620, and after a grueling 66-day crossing, sighted Cape Cod on November 21, 1620. The ship's name derives from the hawthorn flower (mayflower), not the month. The late departure exposed them to autumn storms and a harsh New England winter, profoundly affecting the colony's early survival.