>> THE NAME PLYMOUTH IS WHAT THE ENGLISH COLONISTS CALLED PLYMOUTH, THEIR ADOPTED HOME, BUT THIS AREA HAD ANOTHER NAME PRIOR TO TH PILGRIMS LANDING.
TODAY, THIS PLANTATION HAS ADOPTED A NEW NAME TO HONOR THESE TWO IMPORTANT HISTORIES.
PLYMOU PATUXENT.
>> NEAR THE QUIET SHORELINE OF PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, A FAMILIAR SCENE.
A POPULAR TOURIST ATTRACTION, PLIMOTH PLANTATION IS ALSO AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE AND EDUCATION CENTER.
THIS OUTDOOR EXHIBIT RE-CREATES THE HOMESTEA OF A 17TH-CENTURY WAMPANOAG LEAD OF AREA TRIBES.
MOST OF THE STAFFERS ARE WAMPANOAG, INCLUDING A FORMER EDUCATOR AND STAFF SUPERVISOR, PHILIP LYNN.
>> WE HAVE DIFFERENT HOMES THAT REPRESENT WHAT A NORMA WAMPANOAG PERSON WOULD LIVE IN IN THE SUMMERTIME AND IN THE WINTERTIME, THE SEASONALITY OF LIVING WITH THE LAND.
>> COOKING DEMOS TAKE PLACE THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
FOR EXAMPLE, DEER MEA SOUP WITH ONIONS, GARLIC, SQUASH, AND CRANBERRIES.
>> STEW WAS SOMETHING COMMON.
YOU WOULD KEEP REPLENISHING IT THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
IT WAS LIKE A CROCKPOT.
>> TO FEEL IT, TO SMELL IT, TO KNOW AND LOOK AT WHAT THE MATERIALS WERE, WE STILL REMEMBER OUR HERITAGE.
WE SHARE IT AND MAKE CONNECTIONS THAT WAY.
>> WAMPANOAG ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR BEAUTIFUL CRAFTSMANSHIP, INCLUDING THE LABOR-INTENSIVE BEADS MADE FROM SHELLS.
>> THIS IS MADE WITH CERAMIC BEADS.
THIS IS A MAN AND WOMAN WHO ARE JOINING HANDS AND PRAYING ACROS THE BELT.
>> ALSO PROMINENT AT THIS LIVING HISTORY MUSEUM IS THE MAYFLOWER II.
LAST YEAR, SHE RETURNED HOME AFTER A THREE YEAR MULTIMILLION DOLLAR RESTORATION.
SHE SAILED INTO THE HARBOR JUST IN TIME FOR THE EPIC 400TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ORIGINAL SHIPS LANDING IN 1620.
WE DOVE INTO THE ARCHIVES FOR A VIEW OF WHAT THAT VOYAGE WAS LIKE.
STEP ONTO THE SHIP AND YOU CANNOT HELP BUT REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR THE 102 PEOPLE WHO SPENT TWO MONTHS ON THAT VOYAGE.
>> WELCOME ABOARD MAYFLOWER II.
WE HAVE PROBABLY 200,000 VISITORS A YEAR, MAYBE MORE.
ALMOST EVERYONE’S FIRST COMMENT IS WHAT A SMALL SHI TO HAVE COME ACROSS THE OCEAN IN 1620.
>> IT FEELS REALLY SMALL.
>> AT THE TIME, IT WAS A MIDSIZE SHIP.
BUT WHEN YOU THINK OF CRUISE LINERS TODAY, THIS WOULD BE TINY.
>> THE FIRST THING I NOTICE IS THERE IS NO HELM ON THE HALF DECK.
THAT’S BECAUSE ALL THE STEERING IS DOWN BELOW.
>> ALL THE STEERING IS FROM THE EARLY 17TH CENTURY.
IT’S ESSENTIALLY A LEVER THAT RUNS FROM THE DECK TO THE TILLER BELOW.
AN OFFICER OF A WATCH OR THE MASTER WOULD GIVE A COMMAND TO TH HELMSMAN, SO THE SHIP WOULD MOVE BASED ON WHICH WAY THIS WEB STAFF WAS BEING MANIPULATED.
>> JUST LIKE PLIMOTH PLANTATION, MAYFLOWER II IS A LIVING HISTORY MUSEUM WITH PEOPLE PLAYING CHARACTERS FRO 1620, LIKE DOROTHY, THE SERVANT OF GOVERNOR JOHN CARVER.
>> IT HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT AND I WON’T TELL YOU NO DIFFERENT.
VERY DIFFICULT.
>> HOW WAS THE PASSAGE ACROSS?
>> IT WAS TERRIBLE.
WE WERE TRANSPORTED VERY MUCH AS GOODS OR CHATTEL.
THERE WEREN’T REALLY SHIPS MEANT TO CARRY PEOPLE COMFORTABLY.
IT WAS DARK AND SICKNESS WAS RAMPANT AMONG EVERYONE.
>> THE GREAT CABIN, THE CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS, IS QUITE SPACIOUS IN COMPARISON, ALTHOUGH THE BUNKS -- BUNKS APPEAR DECEPTIVELY SMALL.
>> IT LOOKS SMALL, BUT IT’S REALLY NOT SO SMALL.
>> JOINING ME NOW IS PLYMOUTH PATUXE’S DIRECTOR OF MARITIME OPERATIONS AND CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP.
WHAT’S THAT LIKE?
>> IT’S AMAZING.
THE PHYSICAL THINGS WE CAN LEARN BY SAILING IN A 17TH-CENTURY SHIP -- OF COURSE, THE MAYFLOWER II HAS JUST COME OFF EXTENSIVE RESTORATION, SO WE HAD AN INCREDIBLY GOOD SAILED FROM
MYSTIC SEAPORT BACK HERE TO PLYMOUTH IN AUGUST.
WE REALLY PUT HER THROUGH HER PACES.
SAILING IN ALL TYPES OF WEATH.
THE SHIP SAILS INCREDIBLY WELL.
IT WAS AN HONOR FOR ME TO ABLE TO DO THAT WITH 26 OTHER PEOPLE IN MY CREW.
>> TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE RESTORATION PROJECT.
HOW EXTENSIVE IT WAS AND WHAT WERE THE BIG THINGS THAT GOT DONE TO THE SHIP?
>> THE SHIP WAS BUILT IN 1957 IN ENGLAND AND GIVEN TO AMERICA AS A GIFT OF APPRECIATION FOR OUR HELP A COOPERATION IN WORLD WAR II.
IT WAS TIME FOR A MAJOR REFIT.
WE STARTED WITH THE FRAMES, THE PLANKING, ALL THE RIGGING, NEW SALES, JUST WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
THE MAYFLOWER HAS NOW BEEN DEEMED A NATIONAL HISTORIC PLACE.
I COULD NOT BE MORE PLEASED WITH THE RESULTS, THE COLLABORATION WAS FANTASTIC.
MY CREW GOT TO WORK RIGHT ALONGSIDE TH RIGORS -- AND WE ARE OPEN.
IT’S A REAL SITE TO SEE, WHETHER YOU HAVE SEEN IT IN THE 1960’S, 1970’S, 1980’S, FULLY RESTORED, YOU ARE GOING TO REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH.
>> WELL, YOU DID A GREAT JOB.
GOOD TO HAVE HER B