As we bid farewell to the 400th anniversary of the founding of Plymouth, and pause to reflect upon the work done over nearly a decade, one thing is very clear: the 400th anniversary produced lasting legacies and future opportunities for years to come!
Some of the countless memories were recorded by Plymouth 400 Partner Hawk Visuals. This amazing video highlight reel was shown at our last annual meeting in 2021. The following summary reflects the highlights of the legacy of the Plymouth 400 Commemoration.
BASS & BLUE FISHING TOURNAMENT, 2011-2018
For seven years, the Bass & Blue Fishing Tournament was held on the second weekend of July. It was one of Plymouth 400’s major fundraisers with food, music, and family-friendly competition. The weekend began with the Captains & Crew Kick-Off Event and Dinner which featured a guest speaker, silent auction, prizes, and great food. For the next two days, hundreds of participants (including children) attempted to catch the largest bass and the largest bluefish for a $1,000 grand prize. Special thanks to Plymouth 400 board member Peter Balboni for his dedication in organizing the tournament each year.
ILLUMINATE THANKSGIVING, 2014-2019
Introduced in 2014, in partnership with Mayflower 400 in Plymouth, England, Illuminate Thanksgiving was created to inspire gratitude and giving as expressed in the tagline “Give Thanks, Give Back”. Held each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the youth-oriented programming of Illuminate Thanksgiving was designed to create an inspirational atmosphere and to stimulate gratitude and giving in communities, groups, and families.
Watch this video of our last live Illuminate Thanksgiving event in November 2019, produced by Plymouth 400 Partner PACTV.
ONE SMALL CANDLE AWARD, 2014-2020
The One Small Candle Award was one of the highlights of the Illuminate Thanksgiving event. Based upon Governor William Bradford’s quote:
“…as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone to many…”
the One Small Candle Award was given to an individual who has made a difference in many lives at a young age. It highlighted the power of young people to effect positive change in the world. Click here for details on all of the past One Small Candle Award recipients, and learn about the amazing ways they have helped others.
MASSACHUSETTS CHRONICLES VIRTUAL LAUNCH
SEPTEMBER 9, 2020
This unprecedented history of Massachusetts for students takes a balanced view of some of Massachusetts and America’s most historic moments. Through our partnership with Plymouth Public Schools and Bridgewater State University, and through the generosity of Bruce and Patricia Bartlett, 35 copies of The Massachusetts Chronicles and an educator’s guide went to every public school in Massachusetts.
The book features more than 60 stories, written in the style of a newspaper, that begin before the Pilgrims began to settle on these shores more than 400 years ago. The stories follow the highs and lows of people living in what is now Massachusetts, providing a uniquely rich and highly accessible way to appreciate the diversity of state history.
“OUR”STORY: 400 YEARS OF WAMPANOAG HISTORY VIRTUAL EXHIBIT TOUR, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020
The Wampanoag Exhibit that has been a signature project of Plymouth 400 since 2014 was unable to travel in its final year. With the support of SmokeSygnals Communications’ Paula and Steve Peters, Linda Coombs and PACTV, we were able to bring a virtual look at our signature exhibit which was broadcast as a live-streamed launch on Facebook. Over 6,000 people have tuned in to date.
Click here to watch a replay of the virtual tour on YouTube.
HERE IT BEGAN: 2020 HINDSIGHT OR FORESIGHT: THE INDIGENOUS HISTORY CONFERENCE, OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2020
This Signature Event of Plymouth 400 in partnership with Bridgewater State University changed from a live, 4-day conference with a maximum 400 attendees, to a virtual conference divided into a 9-part series.
The programming is a long-time concept of our own board member, Linda Coombs. With the assistance of Professor Joyce Rain Anderson and the incredible promotional and technical support of BSU and Fred Clark, this original conference was divided into 9 segments which aired in October and November. The first weekend, registrations topped 1,600 viewers.
PLYMOUTH 400 CONVERSATIONS: SPEAKER SERIES, JANUARY-MAY 2021
So much content has been developed around the 400th anniversary, it made sense for us to highlight authors, artists and historians in interviews with our partner PACTV. We did 11 fascinating episodes highlighting their works. All can be found on our website, which will remain as a research site for years to come.
PLYMOUTH 400 REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY, JULY 9, 2021
Despite tropical storm Elsa, Plymouth 400’s Remembrance Ceremony was held on July 9th, 2021 at Pilgrim Hall Museum. The ceremony continued our mission to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower Voyage, the founding of Plymouth Colony and the interaction with the Wampanoag people. Tributes were paid to the Wampanoag people who lost ancestors in “The Great Dying” of 1616-1620, a pandemic that afflicted over 50,000 indigenous people, Pilgrim lives lost during the first winter of 1620-1621 when half of the 102 Mayflower passengers died of contagious disease, and finally those we have recently lost during the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic.
We also announced that our joint project with Pilgrim Hall Museum would change in theme from “Quadricentennial Park” to “Remembrance Park” honoring the lives lost in the Great Dying, the first winter, and the COVID-19 Pandemic. We believe this will be the first monument honoring COVID victims in America.
THE OFFICIAL MARITIME SALUTE TO THE 400TH ANNIVERSARY, SEPTEMBER 4-5, 2021
The successful Plymouth 400 Maritime Salute on Labor Day weekend brought several ships to Plymouth Harbor all at once, for the first time, to join Mayflower II and highlight the maritime history of the Colony. With games and activities, ship tours and excursions, we pulled off a successful event that was uplifting for all and was well received by the British Ambassador, Dame Karen Pierce, U.S. Senator Edward Markey and many other dignitaries.
This video is a beautiful look back at the Official Maritime Salute to the 400th Anniversary, courtesy of Hawk Visuals!
“RIGHTING 400 YEARS OF HISTORY: PLYMOUTH THEN AND NOW”, NBC 10 BOSTON SPECIAL, SEPTEMBER 8, 2021
It’s been just over 400 years since the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, but the true, complete history isn’t necessarily what you learned in history books. With Lead Media Sponsor NBC 10 Boston, Plymouth 400 set out to tell the full story, including the pain and suffering of the Wampanoag people and the stain of slavery in Massachusetts’ past. Of course, there is also historical pride, as the Pilgrims established Plymouth Colony.
This program highlights everything Plymouth 400, and you can watch it here. Special thanks to NBC’s Maggie Baxter and Charlene Bert for their incredible attention and assistance to Plymouth 400.
PLYMOUTH COUNTY REGISTRY OF DEEDS COLONIAL RECORDS VIRTUAL TOUR, SEPTEMBER – DECEMBER 2021
In 2020, Register of Deeds John Buckley and Assistant Register Tim White at the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds arranged an exhibit of Plymouth’s historic collection of Colonial Records. At the time, the pandemic made it impossible to display the poster exhibit for the public. We partnered with the Registry of Deeds to create a virtual tour of The Colonial Documents of Plymouth Colony.
Each document was introduced by a prominent member of our state and local community. We scheduled interviews with over 25 people highlighting these documents for generations, and marking 2020 by bringing current leaders to the forefront of this commemoration. Click here to watch the full virtual tour produced by Hawk Visuals.
MAYFLOWER AUTONOMOUS SHIP (MAS)
The Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) is a highly innovative project to design, build and sail the world’s first full-sized, fully autonomous unmanned ship across the Atlantic Ocean. The futuristic vessel is powered by AI, edge computing and solar energy, and is on a global mission for discovery.
Plymouth 400 worked with the MAS team and the Town of Plymouth for 8 years to make Plymouth, Massachusetts its home port and bring forward facing technology to our 400-year-old town. The ship arrived in Plymouth Harbor in June 2022 after a historic transatlantic journey from Plymouth, England, the same port the pilgrims sailed from in 1620. Click here for a story on the arrival on NBCBoston.com.
To learn more about the Mayflower Autonomous Ship, please visit their website. Image courtesy of ProMare.
PLYMOUTH LICENSE PLATES
The Plymouth License Plate program will continue with proceeds supporting Plymouth 400 Legacy (for more information, see below). Information on the purchase and renewal of plates can be found at myplymouthplate.org or at any Massachusetts RMV office. Show your Plymouth pride with an official Plymouth License Plate!
PLYMOUTH 400 LEGACY
The Plymouth 400 Commemoration highlighted the cultural contributions and American traditions that began with the interaction of the Wampanoag and English peoples, a story that significantly shaped the building of America.
Plymouth 400, Inc. planned and executed Signature Events and Programs recognizing this historic Anniversary. America’s story of exploration, innovation, self-governance, religious expression, and thanksgiving and the legacies sparked by these historic events continue today as cornerstones of our nation.
Plymouth 400 Signature Events and Programs included historical and cultural exhibitions, live televised and web events, a parade of sails, original arts and entertainment collaborations and educational programming and resources.
The Plymouth 400 Legacy will continue to support programs and projects that commemorate the history and promote the future of Plymouth, Massachusetts. One of these programs is Thanks-for-Giving Day, which we are proud to sponsor. Our support comes primarily from the sale of Plymouth 400 License Plates.
