Lacking any type of improved sanitation or water treatment, the water supply had become so fouled that the life expectancy of city-dwellers was down to a miserable 26 years . Although they had no understanding of pathogens and bacteria, the English knew that drinking plain water made them sick.
How did Pilgrims get water?
In the spring of 1621, Plymouth Colony's Town Brook—the main water supply for the newly arrived Pilgrims—filled with silvery river herring swimming upstream to spawn . Squanto, the Indian interpreter, famously used the fish to teach the hungry colonists how to fertilize corn, by layering dead herring in with the seed.
What problems did the Pilgrims have?
The weather was much colder than what the Pilgrims had prepared for and the first winter was devastating. The Pilgrims struggled to build homes , and many families crowded into the few homes that were built. Food was scarce, and many Pilgrims starved to death that first winter.
What did the Pilgrims drink when their water supply went bad?
Due to the unsafe drinking water, passengers on the Mayflower drank beer as a main hydration source — each person was rationed a gallon per day.
Why did the Pilgrims drink beer instead of water?
They had to – plain water can harbor bacteria and could make them sick or even worse. Small (low alcohol) beer on the voyage was safe to drink because beer with its lower pH of around pH 4-5 and alcohol (just a few percent will do the trick) will not harbor pathogenic (disease causing) bacteria long term.
Does the Mayflower ship still exist?
Mayflower II is owned by Plimoth Plantation and is undergoing a multi-year restoration in the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport. The restoration of the 60-year-old wooden ship is being carried out over several years with the project scheduled for completion in 2019.
Why was life so hard for the Pilgrims?
Many of the colonists fell ill. They were probably suffering from scurvy and pneumonia caused by a lack of shelter in the cold, wet weather. Although the Pilgrims were not starving, their sea-diet was very high in salt, which weakened their bodies on the long journey and during that first winter.
What did the Pilgrims fear?
Due to economic difficulties, as well as fears that they would lose their English language and heritage , they began to make plans to settle in the New World. Their intended destination was a region near the Hudson River, which at the time was thought to be part of the already established colony of Virginia.
Who helped the Pilgrims survive?
When the Pilgrims arrived almost two years later, Squanto was living nearby in the village of another tribe. He knew the language and customs of the English settlers, and he wanted to help them. It was a lucky day for the Pilgrims. Squanto helped the Pilgrims communicate with the Native Amer- icans.
What is the Pilgrims first act when they are brought safe to land?
What is the Puritan's first act when they are “brought safe to land”? Fell on their knees and praised God.
Did they only bring beer on the Mayflower?
In the 1700s, beer was considered safer to drink than water, because many of the microorganisms that make people sick can't survive in alcoholic beverages. For this reason, beer and wine were carried on ships , like the Mayflower, for long voyages.
What did they drink at the first Thanksgiving?
“What the pilgrims drank was fermented apple juice, or what we call hard cider . And that's because it was something they were used to drinking back in England. Cider was very, very popular in Europe and they were lucky – several varieties of apples are native to America,” said Pearce.
Did the Mayflower only have beer?
Turns out, to those aboard the Mayflower, beer had become an essential part of daily life . ... Neither did the even weaker “small beer,” of which passengers drank a quart per day. The brews weren't necessarily crafted with an eye toward imbibing alcohol; they were actually a workaround to storing water on board the ship.
Did the Pilgrim Fathers drink alcohol?
Beer, cider and spirits , with alcohol levels that kept bacteria at bay, were safe choices. Pilgrims packing for the journey on the Mayflower, which would last 66 days, had been urged to bring provisions including beer, cider and “aqua-vitae,” or distilled spirits.
When did the Mayflower run out of water?
On September 16 , the Mayflower left for America alone from Plymouth. In a difficult Atlantic crossing, the 90-foot Mayflower encountered rough seas and storms and was blown more than 500 miles off course.
What did they eat on the Mayflower?
The passengers brought dried meat and fish, grains and flour, dried fruit, cheese, hard biscuits, and other foods with them. They had to eat the food they brought until they could plant and harvest a garden. But, they caught and ate fish and wild game once they landed in North America.
