The Mayflower Pilgrims: Behind The Myth

Since 1620, the voyage of the Mayflower has defined the founding moment of America, commemorated each year at Thanksgiving. In a lavish new drama documentary by Ric Burns, based on governor William Bradford's extraordinary eyewitness account, The Mayflower Pilgrims reveals the grim truth behind the Atlantic crossing. The Pilgrims' story has come to define the founding moment of America and all it stands for. It is remembered as a pious crusade aimed at establishing a Puritan paradise. Yet their journey from a harsh, often violent corner of England to a colony assured of survival less than ten years later is also a tale of wealth, cruelty, and entrepreneurial genius.