Saints & Strangers

“Saints & Strangers” delves deeper than the traditional narrative of Thanksgiving and the establishment of Plymouth Plantation, uncovering the challenges faced by the 102 settlers—men, women, and children—who embarked on a voyage to an unknown land. Among them, half were religious separatists, known as pilgrims or saints, who left their previous lives in pursuit of religious freedom. The other half consisted of merchant adventurers, or strangers, driven by practical, material goals rather than spiritual ones. This clash of ideals led to complex internal conflicts as they worked to build a new colony, further complicated by their intricate interactions with the local Native American tribes. The tensions and alliances among these groups resulted in trials of adaptation, faith, and compromise that continue to shape our nation today.