“All great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both must be enterprised and overcome with answerable courage.”
—William Bradford, Governor of Plymouth Colony
An Epic New Educational Series
Faith. Conviction. Courage. Tenacity. The 1620 Experience is an educational series developed to help students and viewers engage more deeply with early American history through narrative, context, and structured analysis. Drawing from primary sources, the program provides real insight into their conflicts and decisions which planted the seeds for a new nation.
Expanding Access to Learning
Available for free to anyone who wants to learn.
Kevin Sorbo
Narrator & Producer
Aaron Bradford
as William Bradford
Sam Sorbo
Narrator
William Federer
Narrator
Eight episodes
Each half hour episode features narration and re-enactments that will open new conversations about the real roots of our culture.
The Truth behind the First Thanksgiving
Their sacrifices. Their trials.
Their victories. Their sacred honor.
Their allies and foes.
Our Mission & Vision
There is a hunger in America for truth.
Our mission is to restore depth and context to the study of history by creating resources that support critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and engagement with primary source material. We believe viewers benefit most when they are equipped not only with information, but with visuals and tools that bring a forgotten world back to life with the ability to evaluate decisions, understand consequences, and engage thoughtfully with complex ideas.
“ Tell me and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”
― Benjamin Franklin
“ …beginnings are rarely as clear-cut as we would like them to be…the story of the Pilgrims does not end with the First Thanksgiving. When we look to how the Pilgrims and their children maintained more than fifty years of peace with the Wampanoags … the history of Plymouth Colony becomes something altogether new, rich, troubling, and complex. Instead of the story we already know, it becomes the story we need to know.”
― Nathaniel Philbrick, Author, “The Mayflower.”
Support the Work
Your donation support helps develop and deliver a high-quality educational program that is structured, accessible, and designed for long-term use across multiple learning environments. By removing financial barriers, this initiative expands access to meaningful learning experiences for students and families nationwide.
The American Culture Started with 102 Brave Souls
Liberty, Justice, and Equality among men. These were the values sown into the soil of New England by the Mayflower passengers – 54 of whom perished that first winter – and established a new way of life for all mankind.
“Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand that made all things of nothing, and gives being to all things that are; and, as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many…”
― William Bradford, Governor of Plymouth Colony
History Unfolded
Eight episodes that will change what you thought you knew about the Pilgrims
Episode 1
Why Pilgrims Matter
Faith, Liberty and Virtue – the foundation for freedom that the Pilgrims set in motion.
Episode 4
Pilgrim Freedom – Personal
New struggles test the Pilgrims willingness to persevere in a deadly new homeland.
Episode 7
Pilgrim Virtue – Equality and Justice
Mutual respect between cultures drives equal application of just laws to physical and trade offenses.
Episode 2
Pilgrim Faith – Beliefs
Rejecting corrupt authorities, the Separatists stand against persecutions and enforced obedience.
Episode 5
Pilgrim Freedom – Civil
Imminent survival created the need for self-governance and the “Mayflower Compact.”
Episode 8
Pilgrim Legacy
The true story of the Pilgrims reminds us that character is as relevant today as it was 400 years ago.
Episode 3
Pilgrim Faith – Actions
Tests of character amidst overwhelming odds win the respect of sailors and the Wampanoag people.
Episode 6
Pilgrim Virtue – Personal
Uncommon acts of kindness are extended to colonists, sailors, new Native neighbors and each other.
Episode 1
Why Pilgrims Matter
Faith, Liberty and Virtue – the foundation for freedom that the Pilgrims set in motion.
Episode 2
Pilgrim Faith – Beliefs
Rejecting corrupt authorities, the Separatists stand against persecutions and enforced obedience.
Episode 3
Pilgrim Faith – Actions
Tests of character amidst overwhelming odds win the respect of sailors and the Wampanoag people.
Episode 4
Pilgrim Freedom – Personal
New struggles test the Pilgrims willingness to persevere in a deadly new homeland.
Episode 5
Pilgrim Freedom – Civil
Imminent survival created the need for self-governance and the “Mayflower Compact.”
Episode 6
Pilgrim Virtue – Personal
Uncommon acts of kindness are extended to colonists, sailors, new Native neighbors and each other.
Episode 7
Pilgrim Virtue – Equality and Justice
Mutual respect between cultures drives equal application of just laws to physical and trade offenses.
Episode 8
Pilgrim Legacy
The true story of the Pilgrims reminds us that character is as relevant today as it was 400 years ago.
Be Part of the Impact
The 1620 Experience is designed to function as a distributed educational resource, reaching students through homeschool networks, classrooms, libraries, museums and community programs. Your tax-deductible contribution helps ensure that this program not only comes to fruition, but is widely available—supporting a more thoughtful and connected approach to learning critical truths through effective study resources.
Our Blog
The Latest News & Updates
You Think Your Kids Have Chores? Growing Up in Plymouth Colony
“Did you finish your chores?” It's a question children have probably heard in one form or another for centuries. But imagine the answer mattered to more than whether your bedroom was clean. Imagine living in a community where food had to be planted,...
What Can the Pilgrims Teach Us About Leadership?
Leadership is easy to admire when the outcome is already known. It is considerably harder when the ship has landed in the wrong place, your legal authority is suddenly uncertain, winter is approaching, members of your company are questioning who has the right to...
Pilgrim vs. Puritan: They Are Not the Same
Pilgrim or Puritan? For generations, Americans have used the words almost interchangeably. Both groups came from England. Both were Protestant. Both established colonies in seventeenth-century New England. Both believed deeply in Scripture, emphasized moral conduct,...
The 1620 Experience
The 1620 Experience is a non-profit mini-series project that aims to raise funds through donations. Your gift today is tax deductible and helps us create this story with excellence. It also acts as vote to show that those of us who value historical truth are not the minority.
We are a fiscally sponsored project of the Christian Ministry Alliance. The Alliance is a U.S. registered 501c3 tax-deductible charity with the Internal Revenue Service and has a Guidestar Gold Seal, placing them in the top 0.5% of nonprofits for transparency and accountability. [Tax ID: 46-3408177]
We are using Giving Fuel, powered by Cornerstone Payment Systems, as our payment processors because these companies support faith-based values.
Contact Us
Send us an email at:
The1620Experience@gmail.com