Last Updated: June 8, 2026

The pilgrims were some of North America’s first European settlers. Who were they? And what did they bring with them on their perilous journey to the new world? Most importantly, was there any gold at the First Thanksgiving in America?

Many of the pilgrims were wealthy

Was there any gold at the First Thanksgiving? — Plimoth Plantation is a living museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts that shows the original settlement of the Plymouth Colony. It was established in the 17th century by English colonists, some of whom later became known as Pilgrims.

When the first Mayflower expedition set off for the New World in 1620, travelers included wealthy pilgrims. As members of elite Puritan families in England, some pilgrims held vast estates with profitable farmland. However, settling in the new world meant foregoing their wealthy status in England and committing to a life of the bare essentials.

Little information exists about what the pilgrims carried on their rough and dangerous journey. For many years, experts theorized what items may have comprised the pilgrims’ belongings.

It wasn’t until 2012 that historians uncovered a manuscript that listed the provisions of some of the original Mayflower settlers. Though many of the pilgrims were quite wealthy, you wouldn’t guess it from what they carried with them. The official provision list included only the necessities: food, drink, clothing, tools, and weapons.

In search of god and gold

As one historical study noted, the pilgrims did not venture to the new world in hopes of finding wealth but rather to escape the religious persecution that was widespread in Europe.

But the same cannot be said for the wealthy merchants who financed the Mayflower expedition. After witnessing the profitability of the Jamestown colony in America two decades prior, these financiers expected to see their share of gold once the Plymouth Colony established basic commerce in the vast, unsettled region of contemporary New England.

Their hopes, however, ultimately dashed. The Plymouth colony’s first winter was disastrous; disease and starvation reduced the colony’s population by two-thirds. And though initial encounters with the surrounding indigenous tribes resulted in the fabled First Thanksgiving, relations quickly reverted to conflict.

The Plymouth colony eventually survived and history regards it as one of the most significant settlements in North American history. The individual pilgrims brought very little physical gold to this region of America, and what gold they did have was mostly contained in jewelry and keepsakes. Nonetheless, their investment in the New World opened the door to generations of wealth.

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Also, stay tuned to Garfield Refining’s blog for more fun and helpful articles about precious metals history, such as The Top 3 Most Popular Gold Rush Ghost Towns, Does Fort Know still have Gold?, and How did Gold get its Name?

Written by

Allie Bowman

Allie Bowman is the Content Lead at Garfield Refining, where she translates more than 130 years of precious metals expertise into clear, accurate, and practical content for individual sellers, dental professionals, jewelers, and collectors. A Dean's List graduate of the University of Delaware's Media Communication program, Allie has built her career around making complex subjects accessible to a broad audience. Her experience spans nutrition science, lifestyle magazine publishing, and precious metals refining, giving her a unique ability to transform technical information into engaging, trustworthy content. At Garfield, Allie brings editorial rigor and subject-matter expertise to every piece she produces. She works closely with Garfield's refining specialists and senior leadership to ensure that technical topics - from karat markings and assay methods to precious metals markets and spot price mechanics - are explained with both accuracy and clarity. Since joining Garfield's marketing team, Allie has written extensively on precious metals refining, dental scrap recovery, gold and silver bullion, estate and inherited jewelry, and industry-specific topics for dental and jewelry professionals. All content is reviewed by Garfield's leadership team prior to publication, ensuring it reflects the company's standards for accuracy, transparency, and industry expertise.

Reviewed by

Morgan Kerrissey

Morgan Kerrissey is the President of Garfield Refining, one of North America's most longstanding and trusted precious metals refineries. For over two decades, Morgan has built his career at the intersection of commodities markets, metallurgy, and precious metals — earning a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable voices in the refining industry. Morgan joined Garfield in 2008, bringing rigorous operational discipline to a company built on exacting standards since 1892. Named President in 2014, he has guided Garfield through volatile gold, silver, and palladium markets, while modernizing its workforce and technologies and diversifying its metal supply chains. Under his leadership, Garfield has expanded its refining capabilities across the full lifecycle of precious metals recovery, entered new markets, and expanded services while maintaining the same customer forward approach that has made Garfield a mainstay for more than a century. From hedging strategy to daily refinery operations, Morgan commands high levels of technical depth and market fluency. Morgan grew up outside Boston, graduated from Harvard University, and has lived with his family in Philadelphia, PA for almost 20 years.