The National Monument to the Forefathers commemorates the Mayflower Pilgrims and their ideals. It is found in Plymouth, Massachusetts with your car rental Boston. It is part of the Pilgrim State Memorial Park.

All aboard

The National Monument to the Forefathers is located on Allerton Street. This 81 foot monument is hard to miss when you visit with your car rental Boston. The idea of building a monument dates back to 1820, but the planning for building the monument didn’t start until 1850. Building began in 1859 and was completed in 1888. This is the largest solid granite monument in the United States and faces the water, roughly towards Plymouth, England.

What to expect

When you visit the National Monument to the Forefathers with your car rental Boston, you will find that the pedestal is an octagon with four large and four small faces. On the main pedestal is the figure of "Faith" and on the four buttresses are figures of the principles that the Pilgrims founded the Commonwealth on. They are freedom, morality, law, and education. Under the figures, there are reliefs in marble that have scenes from Pilgrim history. The monument was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 9174 and was given to the Massachusetts government in 2001.

Other Pilgrim things

Plymouth Rock is another part of Pilgrim State Memorial Park that you can see with your car rental Boston. Plymouth Rock is where the Mayflower Pilgrims who founded Plymouth County in 1620 disembarked from the ship. The rock is currently located on the shore of Plymouth Harbor. Interestingly, there are no references to the rock by the Pilgrims. It was first mentioned 121 years after the Pilgrims landed, but is an important part of American history. This has also been a controversial monument in Native American politics because of the symbolism of the wars that were waged shortly after the Pilgrims arrived. The rock has been buried twice by Native American rights activists as part of their National Day of Mourning.

Explore Plymouth

When you visit with your car rental Boston, you will find that Plymouth is best known for its history. Founded in 1620, it is the oldest municipality in New England and one of the oldest in the country. It is also the oldest continually inhabited English settlement in the country. It is known for a number of things, including the first Thanksgiving feast. The town is well-known in the mythology of the country. Plimoth Plantation is a living history museum that you can visit with your car rental Boston. It is a re-creation of the Plymouth settlement in 1627 and has a replica of a 17th century Wampanoag homesite. The tour guides all have roles to play and act as they would have in the 17th century. There are also several animals that would have been common in the area in the 17th century, but are rare these days. You can also check out the Mayflower I, which is a full size replica of the original ship. It is located at the State Pier and is open as a museum.

The National Monument to the Forefathers is a monument that you can visit with your car rental Boston as part of the larger history of the Pilgrims in the area. Along with Plymouth Rock, you will see some of the important markers of American history. You can also see what life was like when the Pilgrims lived here at Plimoth Plantation, which is a living history museum. The Pilgrims played an important role in shaping the myths and culture of the country.