New England Historic Genealogical Society opens Boston’s Mayflower 400th Anniversary commemorations

American Ancestors and New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) yesterday held the first of a series of events in the United States, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower, with a festive ceremony at their headquarters on Newbury Street in Boston, Massachusetts.

A replica of the Mayflower, the ship that carried the Pilgrims to the new world in 1620, was christened the Boston Mayflower and placed in the organization’s front courtyard to commemorate the significance of the event in the country’s history.

Unveiled adjacent to it was an artistic tribute to the people and culture of the Wampanoag Nation, the Indigenous people who met the Pilgrims after their arrival in Plymouth harbor.

“The sailing of the Mayflower stands as an icon in American history. The Mayflower Compact was formative to our democracy. And we are just as committed to telling the Native American story,” said D. Brenton Simons, president and CEO of American Ancestors and New England Historic Genealogical Society.

“As the largest nonprofit involved in the commemoration, we have a responsibility to educate people everywhere about this historic occasion,” Dr. Simons said. “We will carry out our work in many different ways — through events, tours, published scholarship, exhibitions, educational opportunities, and online research resources.”

The Boston Mayflower is a 10-foot long replica of the square-rigged, 17th century vessel that carried the Pilgrims to the new world in 1620. Photo: New England Historic Genealogical Society.

At the ceremonies on Wednesday, a new exhibit, Origins and Legacy of the Mayflower, was opened in the first floor gallery of American Ancestors. It explores the origins of the Mayflower migration and its lasting legacy and presents the story of the Mayflower across four centuries, expressed through items drawn from NEHGS. The exhibit complements the two art installations in honouring and learning from the legacies of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag.

The art installations and the exhibit will be on view at the American Ancestors headquarters building through the end of the 2020 commemorative year.

Individuals around the world can trace their genealogical ties to one of the 26 Pilgrim families known to have left descendants. It is estimated that there are more than 35 million people today who are descended from a Pilgrim.

American Ancestors offers its expertise in researching and documenting that lineage through its website at AmericanAncestors.org and through specialized Mayflower products and services.

A guest membership in American Ancestors is free and allows the member to research their family history online and to explore their own connection to the Mayflower story.

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