Who were the Pilgrims?• Radical Christian Protestants from

England• Persecuted by the English government

Why did they go to America?• The Pilgrims wanted the freedom to

worship • First, they went to Holland. They decided

to leave when liberal Dutch life began to corrupt them.

The Pilgrims’ Journey• The Pilgrims intended to land near the

Hudson River (New York). But their ship got lost. They ended up landing north, near the Wampanoag village of Patuxet, now Plymouth.

Life in New England• They arrived too late to plant crops. Half

of them died during the first winter.• In the spring, they

began to plant, hunt, and build, with the help of Squanto and other Wampanoags.

• At the end of the first year, the Pilgrims wanted to give thanks to their God. They decided to have a feast.

• They invited the Wampanoags, and the feast lasted more than three days.

The First Thanksgiving

Modern Plymouth

Forefathers’ Monument

Plimoth Plantation

Plymouth Rock