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Leiden’s National DNA Day
April 25, 2020
In 2020, it will be 400 years since the Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower and set sail for the New World.made the journey to America.
The 102 refugees are now considered founding families of America. Indeed, 30 millions Americans can trace their ancestry to those passengers. Among the Pilgrim’s descendants are nine U.S. Presidents, including Barack Obama).
The Pilgrims who did not travel to the New World remained in Leiden and slowly but surely integrated into Dutch society.
Migrants are inextricably linked to the history of the Netherlands (and Leiden in particular). Especially in the 16th and 17th centuries the Netherlands attracted migrants seeking a better life. Many continue their journey, but a large number have historically remained in Holland because of its tolerance and history.
- Is your DNA as Dutch as you think?
- What is DNA? What do you inherit and what is yours alone (nature versus nurture)?
- And is there actually a ‘Leiden DNA’?