A Prank Led to America’s First Nominated Female to Office, and Other Lesser Known American History Facts

31. The Manhattan Pilgrims?

The Pilgrims’ initial destination had been a Virginia Colony island teeming with wildlife and natural resources, fronted by a huge and navigable natural harbor, and bordered by a navigable river that led deep into the interior. Back then, the Virginia Colony’s borders were not the same as those of today’s Virginia. In 1620, the Virginia Colony’s northern boundary was about 225 miles farther north than Virginia’s current border, and the island where the voyagers intended to establish their colony is today called Manhattan.

Instead, the lack of beer led the Pilgrims to explore the coastline of Cape Cod and the nearby mainland region, until they finally decided upon a site. On Christmas Day, December 25^th, 1620, the Pilgrims founded Plymouth Plantation as their new colony, and importantly, the site where they would brew up a fresh batch of beer.