Polaris--The North Star

Polaris--the Polar Star--our North Star--was the guiding light of the Pilgrim world. It did not rotate with the other stars but held steady at the core of their universe while the others circled it. Centering on this star in the northern sky opened a sweeping perspective of the heavens.There's no question that astronomy was a fundamental source of knowledge that bolstered their religious beliefs. http://vimeo.com/4330429. The Pilgrims were men of the New Testament taking their script from the Old. They held monotheism as sacred-- the belief in one God reigning supreme. Polaris fit the part perfectly. Adventurers of the enlightenment had their "lonestar."

The Pilgrims knew when they observed a magnetic compass that the needle pointed to a place in the sky slightly west of their alignment with the North Star. Astronomical measurements calculated this "degree of variation" at 13º west longitude in the 1630's. This variation then floated down from 13º west to 6º west by the 1800's but slowly rose again to 17º by the 1970's. The degree of variation on Cape Cod has now crested and is on its way down now ranging near 15º.

Geologists think that the change in variation is related to the shifting in the molten core in the earth. The theory is that a mass of iron near the North Pole is rotating and causing this shift in variation in a cycle of about 400 years. The Pilgrims would have relied on 13º west longitude for their compass readings as evidence by the first land survey of Cape Cod undertaken in the mid-1630's.

Former W.Va. lawyer works to preserve Pilgrim history

July 10--CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A lawyer who once practiced in West Virginia is now working to preserve the early history of the Pilgrims and Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

Michael Farber works with people who recently built an exact replica of the Elizabeth Tilley, a shallop used by Pilgrims after they landed on Cape Cod back in 1620. Read more

History buffs recreate slice of Pilgrims' progress

ORLEANS — Of all the beautiful boats lining Rock Harbor on Saturday, none looked better than the richly oiled, wooden Elizabeth Tilley, which arrived under tow from Plymouth to commemorate a voyage made by the Pilgrims 385 years ago. Read more

Pilgrims Land in Orleans

The ship that serves as the rock of much of the country’s identity is the Mayflower, but most of those who made the trip across the Atlantic were in much smaller boats, such as the Sparrow-Hawk, that wrecked off Nauset in 1626.
Many find it easier to base the spirit of America on the stalwart souls who made the trip in 1620, rather than the “bunch of drunken entrepreneurs” who came across later, said Mark Wilkins, executive director of the Chatham Historical Society, but the 45-foot Sparrow-Hawk has an intriguing place in the history books, co-starring Mayflower passengers, which will be brought to life this month.

Read more: Pilgrims to land in Orleans - - Wicked Local - Cape Cod http://www.wickedlocal.com/capecod/archive/x1534029089/Pilgrims-to-land-in-Orleans#ixzz1U5YKPEwd

The Eastham Transcription Project is now up and running

Michael Farber wants Eastham folks to be aware that the Cornerstone Project last fall launched an initiative to transcribe the ancient town records from 1659 to 1710.

Read more: Cornerstone project - - Wicked Local Eastham http://www.wickedlocal.com/eastham/archive/x2022449451/Cornerstone-project#ixzz1U5XrUFs5