The Pilgrim Progress

The reenactment was instituted by the Town of Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1921 in honor of its Pilgrim founders.

The march takes place on the first four Fridays in August and is an integral part of the Town's celebration of Thanksgiving Day.

The historical setting for this reenactment is taken from the account of a Dutch visitor, Isaack de Rasieres, secretary of the Dutch colony of New Netherland, who visited Plymouth in 1627 and described the Pilgrims gather for worship thus: Upon the hill they have a large square house…the lower part they use for their church where they preach on Sundays and the usual holidays.

Thus they are constantly on their guard day and night.The line of march proceeds past Plymouth Rock and up the First Street (Leyden Street today) to the top of Burial Hill where a short Pilgrim worship service is observed on the site of that original fort/meetinghouse.

The passages read by Elder Brewster are usually from Governor Bradford's “History” or other Pilgrim source.