The Story We Need to Know–Session Three: THE MAYFLOWER PAPERS Reading Group

Schedule

Thu Feb 19 2026 at 07:00 pm to 08:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Plimoth Patuxet Museums | Plymouth, MA

Advertisement
Explore THE MAYFLOWER PAPERS in a six-session online course uncovering Plymouth Colony and Wampanoag history through eyewitness voices.
About this Event


This program will be hosted online via Zoom. A link will be emailed to all registrants two hours before the program starts at 7pm.


After the international success of the best-selling Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War (2006), author Nathaniel Philbrick and his father Thomas Philbrick (Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Pittsburgh) collaborated on The Mayflower Papers, an engaging, entertaining, and compact anthology of selected writings from Colonial New England. Drawing on chronicles by Governors William Bradford and Edward Winslow, scapegrace Thomas Morton, captive Mary Rowlandson, and Captain Benjamin Church, The Mayflower Papers tell the story of Plymouth Colony and the Wampanoag Homeland from the Pilgrims' life in Leiden, Holland through King Philip's War in the 1670s.The anthology is a collection of six compelling Colonial eyewitness accounts skilfully edited by the Philbricks for readability.

In his preface to Mayflower, Nathaniel Philbrick says that instead of buckled shoes and buckled hats, and the courtship of John and Priscilla Alden, there is an "altogether new, rich, troubling, and complex ... story that we need to know." Led by Senior Historian Richard Pickering, The Mayflower Papers Reading Group is a six-session digital course with welcoming remarks by Nathaniel Philbrick. Throughout the series there will be guest specialists and culture keepers focusing on historical, spiritual, biographical, archaeological or lifeways elements of the eyewitness accounts. Some sessions will feature objects from the Museum's collections and archives. Every element of The Story We Need to Know will contribute to understanding what happened along these shores of change for good or for ill after the promise of the First Thanksgiving.


This is the third of six sessions to explore The Mayflower Papers. If you register for all six sessions, following the last session you will receive a special America 250 commemorative gift from Plimoth Patuxet Museums.



The Mayflower Papers is not included with registration. Participants may purchase it through Amazon or support Plimoth Patuxet's educational mission by purchasing it through our Museum Shop.


Upon registration, participants will receive information about the selected pages to read for the corresponding session. On the day of the event, participants will receive the online video link for the digital session. All sessions will be recorded, and registrants will receive access to watch them after the event.


FAQs

How can I contact the organizer with any questions?

Please contact Gabrielle Turcotte, Membership Program Coordinator, at 508-746-1622, ext. 8219 or by emailing [email protected], with any questions or if you would like to purchase tickets over the phone.


What is the cancellation/refund policy?

If you need to cancel your program registration, please contact Gabrielle Turcotte, Membership Program Coordinator, at 508-746-1622, ext. 8219 or via email, [email protected], as soon as possible.


Event Photos
Advertisement

Where is it happening?

Plimoth Patuxet Museums, 137 Warren Avenue, Plymouth, United States

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

USD 10.00 to USD 20.00

Icon
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Plimoth Patuxet: Commemorating 400 Years 1620-2020

Host or Publisher Plimoth Patuxet: Commemorating 400 Years 1620-2020

Ask AI if this event suits you:

Discover More Events in Plymouth

February Vacation Day 4: Wampanoag Culture Day
Thu, 19 Feb at 10:00 am February Vacation Day 4: Wampanoag Culture Day

Plimoth Patuxet Museums

ART
Make Your Own: Wampanoag Pottery
Thu, 19 Feb at 02:15 pm Make Your Own: Wampanoag Pottery

Plimoth Patuxet Museums

ART
Plymouth Farmers Market: February Market
Thu, 19 Feb at 02:30 pm Plymouth Farmers Market: February Market

Mayflower Brewing Company

FARMERS-MARKETS
Celebrate Recovery: Lesson 12 Confess (Collette)
Thu, 19 Feb at 05:30 pm Celebrate Recovery: Lesson 12 Confess (Collette)

89 Court St, Plymouth, MA

SPIRE LOBBY SERIES: CHELSEA BERRY
Thu, 19 Feb at 07:30 pm SPIRE LOBBY SERIES: CHELSEA BERRY

25 1/2 Court St, Plymouth, MA, United States, Massachusetts 02360

MUSIC ART
Comedy Coop Presents: Stand Up Comedy @ Untold Brewing
Thu, 19 Feb at 07:30 pm Comedy Coop Presents: Stand Up Comedy @ Untold Brewing

2 Loring Blvd

COMEDY ENTERTAINMENT
Beauty Bar & Bubbly
Fri, 20 Feb at 06:30 am Beauty Bar & Bubbly

36 Cordage Park Circle suite 206, Plymouth, MA

HEALTH-WELLNESS
Make Your Own: Painted Dutch Tiles
Fri, 20 Feb at 09:00 am Make Your Own: Painted Dutch Tiles

Plimoth Patuxet Museums

ART
Coffee Brewing Skills
Tue, 23 Oct at 10:00 am Coffee Brewing Skills

Speedwell Coffee Company

WORKSHOPS
Birthplace Tours
Sun, 17 Sep at 12:00 pm Birthplace Tours

Beth Israel Deaconess Plymouth

WORKSHOPS
What Grief Creates
Thu, 06 Feb at 06:00 pm What Grief Creates

Seaglass Center for Integrative Health

WORKSHOPS ART
Ninja Warrior Drop In Classes (6-8)
Sun, 08 Feb at 10:05 am Ninja Warrior Drop In Classes (6-8)

TA Fitness Plymouth

WORKSHOPS SPORTS
JUMP START: Understanding CMA Stats
Mon, 09 Feb at 01:00 pm JUMP START: Understanding CMA Stats

Keller Williams Realty Colonial Partners

WORKSHOPS
Lunch & Learn: Dependent & Off-Duty Employment [HOST: 51 JA]
Tue, 10 Feb at 09:30 pm Lunch & Learn: Dependent & Off-Duty Employment [HOST: 51 JA]

Legal Office Courtroom (Building 938, Room 210) at Osan AB

Sweet Storytime at Bamp's Toy Vault
Wed, 11 Feb at 02:00 pm Sweet Storytime at Bamp's Toy Vault

Bamp's Toy Vault

VALENTINES-DAY
Restore & Protect - A Yon-Ka Experience
Wed, 11 Feb at 04:00 pm Restore & Protect - A Yon-Ka Experience

35 Landmark Drive, Plymouth, MA, United States, Massachusetts 02360

From Guts to Galaxies
Wed, 11 Feb at 06:30 pm From Guts to Galaxies

Blake Planetarium at PCIS, 117 Long Pond Road, Plymouth MA 02360

TRIPS-ADVENTURES
Where Do Your Taxes Go?
Thu, 12 Feb at 07:00 pm Where Do Your Taxes Go?

Plymouth Town Hall, 26 Court Street, Plymouth, MA

BUSINESS HEALTH-WELLNESS
Plymouth, MA Political Leadership School
Sat, 14 Feb at 09:00 am Plymouth, MA Political Leadership School

Hampton Inn & Suites-Plymouth

WORKSHOPS NONPROFIT
Bake Your Own: Soft Pretzels
Sat, 14 Feb at 10:00 am Bake Your Own: Soft Pretzels

Plimoth Patuxet Museums

ART

What's Happening Next in Plymouth?

Discover Plymouth Events