The Pilgrims tried living in the Netherlands before coming to America. The Puritans and the Pilgrims (a cross-section of Puritans) first traveled to the Netherlands to establish a Christian church that would be free of government influence. There, they had to learn a new language and new customs. Many of them labored as textile workers when they had been farmers at home. They also became concerned that their children were not growing up English — they were being integrated into Dutch society.
After 12 years, in 1620, they decided to sail to the New World, where they could worship freely and develop an English culture.
Many famous Americans can be traced to Mayflower. John Howland, an indentured servant on the Mayflower, almost flipped overboard during a storm, but miraculously grabbed a rope on his way into the sea. Howland lived, got married and had a number of children who continued a lineage to the likes of Ralph Waldo Emerson and George Bush (both of them). In fact, at least nine U.S. presidents could follow their genealogy to Mayflower passengers.
Mayflower: The Pilgrims' Adventure is a 1979 American made-for-television historical adventure film dramatizing the Pilgrims' voyage from Plymouth, England to Cape Cod in New England aboard the Mayflower in 1620. The film was directed by George Schaefer and stars Anthony Hopkins, Richard Crenna, and Jenny Agutter.