Edward Winslow was one of the 102 Mayflower passengers brave enough to leave all of his past life in England and begin a new life in the “New World” full of the unknown. Winslow was born on October 18th, 1595 in Worcester, England to Edward Sr. and Magdalene Winslow. He had four brothers, two sisters, and one stepbrother. Two years before setting sail on the Mayflower in the year of 1618, Winslow married Elizabeth Barker in Holland. In 1620, Edward and Elizabeth joined the Mayflower voyage to start their new life. Shortly after the Mayflower arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts a brutal winter had fallen among the people. The harsh cold brought many sickness and took many lives, including the life of Elizabeth Winslow in the March of 1621. …show more content…
In fact, he is actually the only Mayflower passengers to have a portrait of him that still exists. He stood in several different political positions including governor and assistant governor, at different times of course. He was also one of the people to sign the Mayflower Compact and lead several expeditions throughout the colonies including the discovering of Cape Cod. He also made several trips to meet with the Indians and became quick acquaintances and allies with them. Winslow was the author of several pamphlets that cover a variety of topics about the colonies. A few include the following: A Relation or Journal of the Proceedings of the Plantation Settled at Plymouth written in 1622, New England’s Salamander Discover written in 1647, and Glorious Progress of the Gospel Amongst the Indians in New England. Winslow also made several trips to England throughout the years as the agent for the Colony in order to defend it because they still belonged to England at the time.
In 1655, Winslow was on a military expedition around Hispaniola and Jamaica. At some point in early May on this expedition, he died of unknown causes and was buried at sea; however, the Winslow Cemetery located in Marshfield, Massachusetts, there is a stone monument with the names of many of the settlers including