The decision to depart on a dangerous voyage to the new land with the Pilgrims was not an easy one for me, Mrs. Hopkins since I was pregnant at the time of the trip. In order be ready for a journey that would last for over sixty days, I had to pack not only for the trip itself but also for the prospective life in the new land, which was a challenging task (“Voyage of the Mayflower”; “Elizabeth (Fisher) Hopkins”; Johnson, p. 25;). Although the ship that would take the family and me to Virginia had shops where many of the necessities could be purchased, I wanted to make sure that my relatives have enough provision (Goertzen). Moreover, I had to take care of my three children, Damaris, Elizabeth, Giles, and a yet to be born Oceanus and make sure that the family has everything they need throughout the voyage (Marble, p. 15). The fact that I was pregnant made the task of packing much more difficult.
The issue that the family faced was the need to calculate how much food we would need during the journey and upon arrival since we were not sure about what to expect. Mr. Hopkins and I talked to the other future passengers of the Mayflower and made sure to contact the ship crew to put together a list of suggested items. Food and beverages were an apparent necessity, and I made sure to pack enough meat, such as dried beef and pork, oats, wheat, and biscuits (“Things the Pilgrims Brought on the Mayflower”; Lynch, p. 12). It was evident that we could not bring fresh meat or fish. Only dried products would be suitable for eating over the course of this journey. I also packed beer, as this was the favorite drink of my husband and some cider.
Another part of the suggested items list contained household goods that would help our family settle on the ship and upon their arrival. I packed a bedding set, straw bolster, and blankets for myself, my husband, and our daughters (“Things the Pilgrims Brought on the Mayflower”). Also, to accommodate our future child, I decided to take an additional set of blankets and sheets, although I was not supposed to give birth before arriving at Virginia.
There were many things that I had to purchase and pack, luckily, Southampton, where we prepared for the voyage, was a prosperous port (“The Mayflower Story”). To cook the food, our family would need some essential items such as a kettle, a pan, and dishes, which were also packed by Mr. Hopkins and I. Although not responsible for this aspect of voyage preparation, I knew that my husband took some tools, such as an ax, hand shovel and a hammer accompanied by some nails (“Things the Pilgrims Brought on the Mayflower”). Hence, everything was ready for the August fifth, when the ship finally sailed to America.
During their two month journey, my husband Mr. Hopkins, our daughters, and I used up much of the food we had prepared. One could argue that we did not take enough provision, but the family did not expect that the journey would take so long. Perhaps having more of the unperishable dried meat or rice would make the voyage more comfortable. In the context of our life and voyage throughout this unexpectedly long journey, our family of had to restock the supplies after the Mayflower, and the accompanying Speedwell returned to the port of Plymouth (“The Mayflower Story”). We had many doubts and considered abandoning the idea of the voyage, similarly to many other passengers. This was not the first stop due to the leak of the second ship, and I was quite exhausted since I did not expect to be sailing for so long.
In November, the ship reached its destination in America and the passengers prepared to unload their luggage and settle in their new hometown. The sea was not pleasant, and the Mayflower was not able to reach its original destination point in Virginia, which significantly affected the plans of the Hopkins family (Hale, p. 85). Upon arrival, I reflected on the things that could have been done differently, more especially about what provision would be more suitable during the two months of this voyage.
It was evident that I did not expect that the journey would last until November, and the approaching winter meant that our family needed a place to live in while it is cold. These conditions also required some warm clothes for all family members, and although I packed some, I feared that this would not be enough. Also, both the Pilgrims and their English counterparts were unskilled at hunting, which became a necessity in the new conditions (Pilkington & Douglas Bisset, p. 20; “Cooking 101 in 1600s”). Hence, many of the people had to eat vegetables or trade their instruments for meat, which could have been avoided if they learned how to fish or hunt.
Many of the travelers chose to stay on board of the ship while the plantation was being constructed, many were sick and dying because of diseases in the area or because they were unprepared for the cold winter. This was the case for my children and me as well since I had to take care of her newly born child. Since my husband, Mr. Hopkins, has been to Virginia before, he was more prepared to the conditions of their new life (Fraser, p. 40; Fiore, p. 90; “Stephan Hopkins”). His work as the governor’s assistant allowed the family to have enough money for food and other necessities. However, I saw other Pilgrims struggle as their new life required them to apply new skills, for instance, be able to farm to survive, and many of the ship’s passengers were not ready for this (Philbrick, p. 230). I showed courage and strengths despite the difficulties faced due to delays, having to give birth on board of the Mayflower, and the cold first winter that took many lives of the fellow voyagers.
Works Cited
Bradford, William. Of a Plymouth Plantation. Portcullis Books, 2016.
“Cooking 101 in the 1600s.” Mayflower, n.d.
“Elizabeth (Fisher) Hopkins.” Mayflower History.
Fiore, Jordan. Mourt’s Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. Plymouth Rock Foundation, 2006.
Fraser, Rebecca. The Mayflower: The Families, the Voyage, and the Founding of America. St. Martin’s Press, 2017.
Goertzen, Jeff. “How 102 Pilgrims Crammed Inside The Mayflower A Year Before Their First Thanksgiving”. OCR Register, 2018.
Hale, Anna. The Mayflower People: Triumphs & Tragedies. Roberts Rinehart, 1995.
Johnson, Caleb. The Mayflower and Her Passengers. Xlibris, 2006.
Lynch, Patrick J. The Boy Who Fell Off the Mayflower, or John Howland’s Good Fortune. Candlewick, 2015.
Marble, Annie Russell. The Women Who Came in the Mayflower. The Pilgrim Press. 1920.
“The Mayflower Story.” Mayflower 400.
Philbrick, Nathaniel. The Mayflower and the Pilgrims’ New World. Puffin Books, 2004.
Pilkington, Roger, and Douglas Bisset. I Sailed On The Mayflower. Vantage Press, 1990.
“Stephen Hopkins.” Mayflower History.
“Things the Pilgrims Brought on the Mayflower.” Mayflower History, n.d.
“Voyage of the Mayflower.” Mayflower History.