Idaho Society of Mayflower Descendants
The group of 102 passengers who crowded aboard Mayflower for the crossing was not homogenous. Many of the passengers were members of the Leiden congregation, but they were joined by a number of English families or individuals who were hoping to better their life situations, or were seeking financial gain. These two general groups have sometimes been referred to as the "saints" and "strangers."
Plymouth, Massachusetts wasn't the planned destination of the pilgrims. In the charter they signed with the Virginia Company in England, they agreed to settle on land south of the 41st parallel locted near the Hudson River. The generally accepted reason for their sailing north of their intended destination was due to stormy weather, however there has been some unsupported speculation that they may have intended to ignore the provisions on the charter.
Read more at: www.TheMayflowerSociety.org