Beyond the Spectacle: Indigenous Plymouth

Did you know that Indigenous North American presence in the English port city of Plymouth predates the Mayflower by at least 35 years? This walking tour guides visitors through 435 years of this history and amplifies these travellers’ stories.

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Beyond the Spectacle: Indigenous Plymouth

England PL1 1NL, United Kingdom

Created By: Beyond the Spectacle

Tour Information

Plymouth’s connections with Indigenous North American peoples are often remembered through the story of the Mayflower. But did you know that the links actually began at least 35 years before that? For over 435 years, Indigenous North Americans have been travelling to and through Plymouth, England, as captives, delegates, activists, soldiers, performers, and tourists. This trail amplifies their stories and commemorates these travellers’ contributions to the port city. It also records, for the first time, five centuries of Indigenous North American presence in Plymouth.

This walking tour was created by Beyond the Spectacle, an Arts & Humanities Research Council-funded project, in collaboration with Jo Loosemore (Mayflower 400: Legend and Legacy exhibition curator at The Box, Plymouth). To learn more about the Beyond the Spectacle project, please visit https://research.kent.ac.uk/beyondthespectacle/.


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What You'll See on the Tour

Here on the harbour wall, near the Mayflower Steps, is a plaque commemorating the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Roanoke Colonies, in what is now known as North Carolina. In 1584, Walter Raleigh sent ships from Plymouth to claim l... Read more
Close to this spot are the only remains of Plymouth’s Elizabethan fort, built before the Citadel but after the Castle. It was constructed by order of Elizabeth I to deter further Spanish attacks after the Armada in 1588. It was completed ... Read more
Known as Matoaka (‘Flower between two Streams’), Amonute, and Rebecca (‘Mother of Two Peoples’), the woman most widely recognized by her nickname Pocahontas (‘Playful One’) arrived in Plymouth on 12th June, 1616. She was the you... Read more
The Merchants House is one of the oldest preserved buildings in Plymouth. We don't know exactly when it was built but we do know that William Parker, a merchant and privateer, was its first recorded owner. He seems to have remodelled an old... Read more
In June 1762, three Cherokee chieftains arrived at Plymouth. They were on their way to King George III to mark the confirmation of the new treaty of friendship between Britain and the Cherokee Nation. This followed four years of hostilities... Read more
From here, look over the water towards Mount Batten. It was there in the Cattewater that George Cartwright dropped anchor in late May 1773 with five Inuit onboard. In November 1772, Cartwright, an English explorer and entrepreneur, had brou... Read more
Kualelo, a boy from the Hawaiian island of Molokaʻi, arrived in Plymouth on the Prince of Wales in July 1789. He was 11 or 12 years old when he joined the Princess Royal in 1788 during the ship's voyage to what were then known as the Sandw... Read more
In March 1837, the Plymouth and Stonehouse Auxiliary Branch of the Wesleyan Missionary Society celebrated their 23rd anniversary here at the site of Ebenezer Chapel (now Methodist Central Hall). One of their guest speakers had been announce... Read more
The Plymouth Mechanics Institute, situated here at the corner of what used to be Princess Square and Westwell Street, provided access to education for the working men and women of the city for a small weekly fee. There was a library from wh... Read more
Born on the Cattaraugus reservation in what is currently New York in 1860, Gowongo Mohawk was a talented athlete and performer. She gained fame around the same time as the Buffalo Bill Wild West Shows, in the 1890s and early 1900s, and she ... Read more
In 1895, the Theatre Royal staged a production of a play entitled The Black Hawks, written by a man claiming to be called Arizona Joe, and featuring an all-white English cast in make-up performing tableaux of Native American scenes. Arizona... Read more
At the end of July 1903 (30th July and 1st August), Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, the touring sensation of horse acrobatics, theatrical stunts and eccentric sights from all over the world arrived in Plymouth for three days of performances.... Read more
Plymouth was a port for ocean liners in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It offered speedy transatlantic access to Britain, primarily to London by train, or onto European destinations. The Liner Lookout here was originally built in 1... Read more
On 14th October 1914, two months after the start of the First World War, the First Contingent of Canadian troops arrived at Plymouth. Their presence at the port was somewhat unexpected; the ships' intended destination had been Southampton b... Read more
Deskaheh, also known as Levi General, was born on the Six Nations reserve in Ontario, Canada in 1873. An activist and Cayuga chief, he served as deputy speaker of the Confederacy Council beginning in 1918. A few years later, Deskaheh "press... Read more
On New Year's Day 1925, the patrons of the Cinedrome Kinema, one of Plymouth's finest cinematic establishments, were treated to the Western The Covered Wagon (you can watch the movie by following the video link!). This 98-minute silent film... Read more
The Plymouth Corn Exchange was part of a larger market complex that occupied the site from Tesco's to McDonalds on both sides of New George Street until the 1950s. On 5th January 1925, the building was "gaily decorated" and filled with the ... Read more
St Andrew's Church was built in the 15th century, although its origins are much earlier. While it's possible that previous Indigenous North American travellers to Plymouth visited the church, the earliest recorded is in June 1881. Rev. Henr... Read more
With America at war in Vietnam, with British support, Plymouth named 1970 Mayflower Year. ‘It’s such an awfully pleasant respite from the cares of the world.’ Massachusetts Senator Leverett Salton in Plymouth, May 1970 1970 marked the... Read more
As part of their Goodwill Tour visit to Plymouth, Edgar Monetathchi, Doc Tate Nevaquaya, George Watchetaker and the rest of their group performed outside of the Guildhall. The Lawton Constitution-Morning Press reported that they performed i... Read more
In June 2012, Plymouth hosted a delegation from the three federally recognized Cherokee nations: the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma; the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians; and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Here at the Lord Mayo... Read more
2020 marked the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower. The commemoration was defined by the contribution of Native Americans to events in the US, UK and in The Netherlands. The work was led by the Wampanoag Nation. The Wampanoag... Read more
The 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower is a reminder of the connection between people on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Sarah Sense is a Native American artist who lived and worked in the UK. Using traditional Chitimacha a... Read more
Planned for 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic, the Theatre Royal will host a play involving Indigenous North Americans. Written by local playwright Nick Stimson and musician Seth Lakeman, it will explore the story of the Mayflower. It ... Read more

 

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