Plymouth Colony/ the Pilgrims

It was a foggy morning on the shores of soon to be, Plymouth colony. The settlers were tired, hungry, and most of them were very sickly. Then, the sound of an overjoyed man shouted, “Land Ho! Land Ho!” With a sudden start, everyone was mostly awake. All they wanted to see, hear, touch, and breath was solid ground. The pilgrims had been sailing on their ship, the Mayflower, for 6 weeks, and they were running out of resources. Only 2 passengers had died on the voyage, but one was quickly replaced by a new born baby! The settlers were very thankful for their safe travels and for finding land in which they can start a new life!

The first year (November of 1620 – November of 1621) was the hardest year of them all. The Pilgrims were taught to avoid Indians because they were only out to kill. The pilgrims planned to make 19 houses for small families (2 children max), but only 7 were built due to harsh winters, many deaths, and lack of food. Out of the original 102 pilgrims that made it to America, only 53 survived the first year of living there.

One fateful day in April, all of the snow melted from the harsh winter and a friendly Indian named Samoset. He belonged to a tribe called, the Wampanoags. He understood and could speak English and he began a positive relationship with the two groups (the pilgrims and the Indians). He introduced the pilgrims to an Indian named Squanto. As a boy, Squanto was kidnapped and taken to England to spend some time there working as someone’s slave. By spending so much time in England, he spoke English better than Samoset did. When Squanto was set free by his master and went back to his home land, he discovered that his people were all dead. No one was left alive, accept him. Squanto helped the pilgrims produce enough food to get the pilgrims energized enough so they could work harder and survive. Thank you Squanto!

At the end of the first year, the pilgrims and Indians had a grand feast with all of the food they had grown. The pilgrims finally got to meet the Indians’ chief, and his name was Massasoit. Everyone was there, including Samoset and Squanto! The festivities lasted 3 days and all were happy. Now a days, we call this holiday, thanksgiving and it’s celebrated all around the United States. The pilgrims were thankful for safe travels and good friends who are always there to help. I’m thankful for my mom and dad and all they do for me (do in this case is spend, so the sentence really means: I’m thankful for my mom and dad and all they spend on me) We’re all grateful for something in our lives even if it’s for shoes. Let’s be proud of the pilgrims and the national holiday that they started. Thank you for everything!

#history