02/12/2026
Isn’t history cool?
In 1620, one slip on a storm-tossed deck nearly erased three US Presidents from history, but God had other plans.
During the Mayflower's perilous voyage across the Atlantic, a young indentured servant named John Howland was swept overboard into the raging sea. It was a certain death sentence.
But as William Bradford later wrote, 'it pleased God that he caught hold of the topsail halyards which hung overboard.' Though he was pulled many feet under the freezing water, he held on. 🙏
The crew managed to haul him back onto the ship. He was sick from the ordeal but survived, an event the Pilgrims saw as a clear act of divine providence.
Back on land, John would marry Elizabeth Tilley, a fellow passenger who was tragically orphaned during that first brutal winter in America.
Together, this young man saved from the sea and the young woman who lost everything, started a new life. They would have 10 children and over 80 grandchildren.
Today, it's estimated that millions of Americans descend from John Howland, including U.S. Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush. 🇺🇸
His life became a testament to the fact that he was spared for a great purpose, becoming a respected leader in the Plymouth colony and a pillar of his church and community.
Sources: William Bradford's 'Of Plymouth Plantation', Mayflower400UK.org
