The Mayflower, which set sail from England in September 1620, intended to reach the northern Virginia area, which is roughly where modern-day New York is located. However, the ship ran into difficult weather conditions, including storms, which caused it to veer off its intended course.
After more than two months at sea, the Mayflower ultimately landed at Cape Cod, in present-day Massachusetts, on November 11, 1620. The crew and passengers recognized that they were far from their intended destination, so they decided to explore the area for a suitable place to establish a settlement. Eventually, they chose to settle in Plymouth, which is now known as Plymouth, Massachusetts. This landing marked the beginning of the Plymouth Colony, one of the earliest successful English settlements in North America.