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The Mayflower is the most famous ship in American History and is first recorded in
1609. At that time she was a merchant ship traveling to Baltic ports. The ship was about
180 tons, and rested in Harwich. In its early years it was employed in the transportation
of tar, lumber, and fish; and may have also done some Greenland whaling. Later on in its
life, it became employed in Mediterranean wine and spice trading.. In 1620, Thomas Weston assisted by John Carver and Robert Cushman hired the
Mayflower and the Speedwell to undertake the voyage to plant a colony in Northern
Virginia. The Speedwell turned out to be a leaky ship, and so was unable to make the
famous voyage with the Mayflower. Christopher Jones was the captain of the Mayflower when it took the Pilgrims to New
England in 1620. They anchored off the tip of Cape Cod on November 11, 1620. The
Mayflower stayed in America that winter, and its crew suffered the effects of the
first winter just as the Pilgrims did, with almost half dying.
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