The Mayflower is best known for its 1620 voyage from England to North America, when it carried the Pilgrims to what became Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Quick Scoop: When was the Mayflower?

  • The Mayflower was already in service as a merchant ship by before 1609.
  • It sailed for New England in 1620 , leaving from England in mid-September (Old Style date) and arriving off Cape Cod in November 1620.
  • The ship remained active only a few more years and disappears from records after the early 1620s.

In everyday history discussions, when people ask “when was the Mayflower,” they almost always mean the famous voyage year: 1620.

In short: the Mayflower’s key historic moment is its 1620 Atlantic crossing carrying the Pilgrims to New England.

TL;DR: The Mayflower was an English merchant ship active by about 1609, and it made its famous voyage carrying the Pilgrims to America in 1620.

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