Everyone who has been through an American public school knows the story of Plymouth Rock, the legendary first piece of dry land the Pilgrims stepped on after their long and arduous Mayflower journey across the Atlantic. As the place where our first English immigrants encountered and stood on the area that would become part of New England, the rock is a famous artifact on its own. You can even see it today in Plymouth, as it is a major tourist attraction for the town. But, the Mayflower landed in 1620. After 396 years, how can we be sure that the rock on display in Plymouth is the actual one upon which the Pilgrims first stood?
Here’s what you need to know about the history of Plymouth Rock.