Our shared vision

Our Vision

We are united in our passion to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower sailing in 2020 and to celebrate our shared values of freedom, democracy, humanity and the future.

Our Mission

In 2020, four hundred years after the sailing of the Mayflower, the USA, Wampanoag Nation, UK and the Netherlands will participate in an inclusive four-nation commemoration. We will commemorate the story of the pilgrims, the cultures and places with which they interacted and do so by focusing on themes that make this commemoration relevant and urgent in the here and now, such as migration, tolerance and oppression. Local and international programs (cultural, educational and economic) are aimed to contribute to mutual understanding and critical reflection, and inspire future generations.

United Kingdom

2020 marks the 400^th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower, an event of global significance resonating down through those four centuries. The Mayflower Pilgrim’s principles of individual liberty and freedom first took root in the UK, were nurtured in the Netherlands and then flowered in America. Their values have since guided all modern democracies.

As a story of adversity and welcome, written across borders and continents, the commemoration of their voyage offers the opportunity to learn from our shared past and inform our joint futures.

Mayflower 400 is a five year programme of community, creative, educational and capital investment, celebrating our humanity, our international solidarity and our diversity of culture and belief. It will explore, explain and give thanks for the Pilgrim’s impact on world history, refreshing the lessons of their legacy.

Leiden, Netherlands

Leiden, a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands, are also closely involved in the commemoration of the Pilgrims journey due to the city being home to the Pilgrims for over 10 years and where they eventually left in the Speedwell in 1620.

Our Values

Freedom
The liberty of the individual to pursue their beliefs

Humanity
We do not discriminate, we are for everyone

Imagination
In the spirit of the Pilgrims we think big, we improvise and we innovate

Future
We always look forward, building knowledge and legacy

United States of America

America is poised for an anniversary of international significance: the 400^th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage and the founding of Plymouth colony. The crossing of the Mayflower in 1620 and the relationship between the Pilgrims and Wampanoag are iconic moments in America’s narrative which ultimately changed the course of world history.

While this is a global commemoration, it marks the beginning of American democracy. Told for the first time from both the England and Wampanoag perspectives, Pilgrim and Native America descendants are working together to create a 400^th anniversary that is historically accurate and culturally inclusive, connecting individuals across the globe through educational, cultural and heritage events, exhibits and programmes.

Through the themes of exploration, innovation, self-governance, religious freedom, immigration and thanksgiving, it will honor a collective past and engage people worldwide in building a brighter future.