400th Anniversary Event Organizers
Plimoth Plantation – permanent home and sole owner of the Mayflower II – is a driving force behind many 400th anniversary commemorations across New England and the Nation. The Mayflower II is a replica of the ship that carried the Pilgrims to America 400 years ago and has just completed a $12 Million restoration to her original 1957 glory. She was officially launched and re-commissioned on September 7, 2019, in Mystic, Connecticut. The ship is permanently berthed in Plymouth Harbor, Massachusetts, near Plymouth Rock. Plimoth Plantation is a living history museum dedicated to teaching the history of the Wampanoag People and the Colonial English community in the 1600s. Thanksgiving began at Plimoth in Plymouth. Plimoth Plantation is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization, supported by admissions, grants, members, volunteers, and generous contributors.
Plymouth 400, Inc. – a partnership between Plymouth, Massachusetts; Mayflower 400 in the UK; Leiden 2020 in the Netherlands; and Wampanoag Nation – is planning events and programs honoring America’s story of exploration, innovation, self-governance, religious expression, and thanksgiving. These legacies were sparked by arrival of the Mayflower in 1620 and remain cornerstones of the United State of America. Plymouth 400 Inc. is funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce, Plymouth County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Town of Plymouth’s Promotion Fund. Plymouth 400 Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Provincetown 400 – organized by the Cape Cod Pilgrim Memorial Association – is committed to honoring the historic and cultural highlights of the last 400 years in Provincetown and the Outer Cape through the themes of Self-governance, Freedom of Expression, and Democratic Values. It is planning events that commemorate the landing of the Mayflower Pilgrims, the signing of the Mayflower Compact, and the first meeting with the native people, the Wampanoag Nation. The Mayflower Compact is popularly believed to have influenced the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. It was signed November 11, 1620. Provincetown 400 is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Mayflower Sails 2020 – wholly owned and controlled by Plimoth Plantation – is organizing and managing the historic sailing of Mayflower beside the USS Constitution in Boston Harbor in May 2020. It is a single-member limited liability company wholly owned and controlled by Plimoth Plantation, Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
The California Mayflower Society is leading the Tournament of Roses® initiative in Pasadena New Year’s Day 2020. The Mayflower Society provides education and understanding of why the Mayflower Pilgrims were important, how they shaped core American values, and the impact their 1620 voyage has on the world today. The Mayflower Society, or General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD) is honored to partner with the following organizations: Plymouth 400, Provincetown 400, Mayflower 400, Visit Britain, Leiden 2020 and the sovereign Tribes of the Wampanoag Nation. The Mayflower Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is encouraging many of the major Mayflower 400th Anniversary events throughout the State. On September 20, 2016, Governor Charlie Baker signed an Executive Order that reaffirmed the “400th anniversary of the settlement at Plymouth, Massachusetts presents a unique opportunity to honor our national history and establishment of New England’s oldest municipality, settled by those seeking religious freedom and memorializing their commitment to democracy in what would be a precursor to the Constitution of the United States, the Mayflower Compact.”
Mayflower 400 UK – a British organization – celebrates the ship that links four nations (the United States, England, the Netherlands and the Wampanoag Nation), spans 400 years of history and connects millions of people. From November 2019, an ambitious year-long commemoration will mark the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s pioneering voyage, telling the story of a ship and its passengers – a group of people that a remarkable 30 million+ US citizens have descended from. It is a British organization supported by national sponsors and funding partners that include Womble-Bond-Dickinson, Plymouth City Council, Visit Britain, Visit England, Heritage Fun, UK Department for Digital, Cultural Media & Sport, Art Council England and the Royal Navy.
Leiden 400 – a Dutch organization – will commemorate the important role the Netherlands played in the history of the ship Mayflower and its passengers, whose stories are intertwined with the city of Leiden. It represents one of the core-four nations upon which the Mayflower 400 story stands: the Netherland, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Wampanoag Nation. Leiden 400’s mission is to provide fresh perspectives that celebrate and re-tell the Pilgrim story. Leiden 400 partners include Leiden Heritage, Leiden Marketing, the Museum de Lakenhal and Pieterskerk Leiden.
