What were the Pilgrims afraid of when they got to America?

Answer 1

First and foremost, they were afraid of The Church of England, from whom they were fleeing. They were also afraid of their children growing up without an English identity, which was why they left Holland, where they had fled after leaving England. Unlike their English brothers the Puritans, they were not in general concerned with the threat of religious damnation, being about two-thirds secular (although the charter was requested by the church dissenters, they were joined by a larger group of secular workmen and other opportunists). Physically, their major dangers were disease and starvation- they were so desperate after landing that they cooked and ate maize which had been buried in graves with dead natives. Many of them suffered disease, most commonly a cough or scurvy and other malnourishment. Only 53% survived the first winter. The natives were not a major threat, having mostly died off of a disease which was probably Small Pox brought over by earlier European travellers. In fact, after one confrontation between an exploration party and natives about a month in, there was almost no contact with the Indians, positive or negative (Thanksgiving was actually being celebrated several years before the Mayflower Pilgrims landed, and probably developed in Jamestown).