PASTOR ROBINSON
ELDER CARVER
WILHELM KIEFT
VOICE
THOMAS WESTON
CAPTAIN JONES
PETER BROWN
MOB
ANNOUNCER
It was in the month of December in 1620 that the Pilgrim Fathers landed on Plymouth Rock and proceeded to establish the first permanent white settlement in New England. But the Pilgrims had not set out for America to establish their new home in New England—far from it—they had a charter permitting their settlement in the northern portion of the Virginia plantation, and it was toward Virginia that the little band of passengers aboard the Mayflower thought they were heading. The story of how they happened to come to the stern and rockbound coast of New England and of how they happened to stay there and carve out of the wilderness a great commonwealth is told here.
Let us begin our story in Leyden, Holland, where for some eleven years the Pilgrims have lived in exile from England, driven out because of their religious faith. It is early in the year 1620, and John Robinson, who is the pastor and leader of the Pilgrims, is talking to John Carver, who is one of the elders of the church.
ROBINSON
No word yet from Elder Brewster?
CARVER
Nay, not a word. I fear me that he and Master Cushman have found it impossible to raise such a large sum of money.
ROBINSON