Our guest speaker at the May 2005 dinner meeting was Elaine Witt, Professor of American Studies at Brigham Young University. Prof. Witt, dressed in pilgrim attire, portrayed Susanna White Winslow, one of the women passengers on the Mayflower. Susanna White came to America with her husband William and son Resolved. She was pregnant and gave birth to son Perigrine while the Mayflower was still anchored off the tip of Cape Cod. Her husband William died of the “general sickness” the first winter, and she remarried a few months later to fellow Mayflower passenger Edward Winslow. Their marriage in May 1621 was the first marriage in Plymouth. Susanna was only one of four adult women to have survived to see the “first thanksgiving” at Plymouth that autumn.
In first person, Elaine recounted the experiences of Susanna White beginning with the voyage from England. She emphasized that there were deep and dividing differences between her small group of religious separatists and the Church of England, who viewed this group as heretics and enemies of the Crown. The small group decided to pull up stakes and sail to the Virginia Colony. Originally, two ships were to sail to the new world, the Mayflower and the Speedwell, but the second ship was neither “speedy” nor “well”, so 102 people, 40 “saints” and 62 “strangers”, left England September 6, 1620 on the Mayflower.
The journey was dangerous. John Howland was nearly lost overboard in a violent storm, and on one occasion the mast cracked but was repaired using a large screw. The Pilgrims sang and prayed every day, believing that there was a great purpose in their journey. When land was spotted, their hearts were filled with joy (even though they were 200 miles off course to the north of the Virginia Colony).
Susanna’s son Perigrine was born the second week of December, but her husband died ten weeks later. Susanna married Edward Winslow in May 1621. The first year was very hard–half the Pilgrims died during this time. But things gradually improved, and with the help of Squanto and the other native people, the Pilgrims were able to survive.
Prof. Witt ended her portrayal by singing Psalm 100, after which everyone in attendance joined in. Thank you, Elaine, for a wonderful portrayal of a Pilgrim woman.