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The History of the Plymouth Pilgrims with John Turner

Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor
William Halsall, Public domain,
/
via Wikimedia Commons
Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor

More than 400 years ago this month, a group of English protestants—separatists from the Church of England—landed in the New World in search of religious freedom. But what did freedom really mean to these pilgrims?

Many of us grew up hearing the idealistic tale of the Mayflower and its cargo of “spiritual pilgrims” that, in recent years, scholars have largely overturned with a darker, more violent story. In his book, “They Knew They Were Pilgrims,” historian John Turner offers a more nuanced look at the Plymouth Colony and the Native people who were there when the English arrived. We’ll talk with Turner about his research and the history of the Plymouth Pilgrims Thursday at 9 a.m.

GUEST —

John G. Turner | Professor of Religious Studies at George Mason University. His book is “They Knew They Were Pilgrims: Plymouth Colony and the Contest for American Liberty.” [Bookshop|Amazon|Audible]

Original Airdate: Friday, Nov. 27, 2020 at 12 p.m. and Sat, Nov. 18, 2020 at 11 a.m. Rebroadcast on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022, at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., and Thursday, Nov. 28, at 9 a.m., and Saturday, Nov. 30, at 11 a.m.