Origins

Leiden, City of Refugees

Leiden is known as the City of Refugees. Throughout history Leiden has given shelter to people who were no longer welcome elsewhere. In the 17th century the population of Leiden grew from just over 20.000 to 70.000 souls in a short space of time. Even in the 20th century no less than three out of four Leideners descended form a refugee. The Pilgrims too found a (temporary) safe harbour in Leiden.

Where did the Pilgrims come from?

Early in the sixteen hundreds the English Calvinists were persecuted by Queen Elizabeth and her successor James I. Especially the separatists, those who wanted to leave the established (state) Anglican Church, had a rough time. Around 1608 a number of them fled to Holland, where there was relative freedom of religion. They escaped from the coast somewhere between Grimsby and Hull. The refugees were picked up by a Dutch skipper, en eventually reached Amsterdam. From there they moved to Leiden. After a stay of eleven years, a substantial part of this community emigrated as Pilgrims to North America, between 1620 and 1643. During the journeys they were joined by other English people. In America the Pilgrims are seen as the Founding Fathers of the United States. No fewer than 9 American presidents, amongst them Roosevelt, father and son Bush, and Obama are direct descendants of the Pilgrims.