EVEN WHEN A BOOK bears a single name, scholarship is by its nature a collaborative enterprise, building on the work of women and men from the distant past and relying on the help of archivists, librarians, and colleagues. Over the course of this project, many institutions made their documents and photographs available to me. I am especially grateful to Carolle Morini of the Boston Athenæum; Jay Moschella of the Boston Public Library; Lisa Lucassen of the Leiden Regional Archives; Marjory O’Toole of the Little Compton Historical Society; Elaine Heavey, Anna Clutterbuck-Cook, and Daniel Hinchen of the Massachusetts Historical Society; Mark Proknik of the New Bedford Whaling Museum; Donna Curtin of Pilgrim Hall; John R. Buckley of the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds; Douglas Mayo of the Rockefeller Library at Colonial Williamsburg; and Danielle Kovacs of the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) Special Collections.
Many individuals gamely read drafts or partial drafts of this book: Sue Allan, Jim Baker, Jeremy Dupertuis Bangs, Alex Beam, Margaret Bendroth, Charlotte Carrington-Farmer, David Hall, Mack Holt, David Lupher, John McWilliams, Lincoln Mullen, Michael Paulick, Paula Peters, Adrian Weimer, and Michael Winship. Other people who provided invaluable advice and assistance include Francis Bremer, Jeff Cooper, John Craig, Jaap Jacobs, Thomas Kidd, Merja Kytö, Andrew Lipman, Jo Loosemore, Vicki Oman, Richard Pickering, Jenny Pulsipher, Anne Reilly, David Silverman, Baird Tipson, and Walter Powell. Andrew C. Smith patiently worked through many iterations of the maps with me.
One of the best parts of researching any subject is the chance to meet knowledgeable and fascinating people, both in person and remotely. One particular pleasure in working on this book was the opportunity to interact with Jeremy Bangs, the director of the Leiden American Pilgrim Museum and the foremost expert on the Pilgrims and the colony they founded. This project was made easier by Jeremy’s many publications, including his transcriptions of Plymouth Colony records. Also, Jeremy patiently fielded queries, deciphered difficult handwriting, and was willing to push back against some of my interpretive judgments. I also enjoyed a delightful tour of Scrooby, Gainsborough, and other locations with Sue Allan, who generously shared advice, documents, and transcriptions. Michael Paulick likewise shared many transcriptions and documents pertaining to Robert Cushman’s years in Canterbury.
The British Association of American Studies and the Eccles Centre for American Studies provided me with a fellowship that enabled a month’s research at the British Library and other London repositories. I am also grateful for a grant received from George Mason University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The completion of this book in time for the four-hundredth anniversary of the Mayflower crossing was made possible by a Public Scholar fellowship from the National Endowment of the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this book do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment of the Humanities.
Two individuals supported this project at an early stage: my agent, Giles Anderson; and my editor, Jennifer Banks. I am thankful to both of them.
John Robinson, the Leiden pastor to the Pilgrims, once suggested that “wiving and thriving” go hand in hand. He was correct. For her patience with this project, and for our lives together, I am grateful to my wife, Elissa, the best of wives and the best of readers.