The Pilgrims were English settlers who arrived in America in the 1620s seeking religious freedom. They settled in Plymouth and celebrated the first Thanksgiving with neighboring Indians. After living in Holland, they sailed on the Mayflower and survived a harsh first winter with the help of Squanto, an Indian who taught them how to farm. Governor William Bradford announced the first Thanksgiving Day in honor of their bountiful harvest.
In the United States, the term Pilgrims refers to the group of English settlers who arrived in America in the 1620s and settled in Plymouth. They were the second group of English citizens to populate America after the settlers of Jamestown, Virginia. The pilgrims consisted mainly of those seeking the religious freedom they had been denied in England. Arriving on the Mayflower, they survived a harsh first winter in the New World with the help of neighboring Indians, with whom they celebrated the first Thanksgiving holiday in 1621.
Although the Pilgrims were originally from England, they had actually spent the decade before their trip to America living in Holland, where they first found the religious freedom they sought. They began to worry that they were losing some of their heritage in this foreign country, however, and they saw the New World as a place where they could keep that heritage and worship as they pleased. Funded by a group of investors, 110 men and women set sail on the Mayflower on September 6, 1620.
The journey was perilous, but 65 days later the party reached Plymouth, named after Captain John Smith of the settlement of Jamestown in 1614. An agreement known as the Mayflower Compact was reached to settle differences between two groups of passengers and the pilgrims were happy to finally reach their new home. Situated near a good harbor and a stream teeming with fish, the settlers seemed to have everything they needed for a prosperous new life.
Their first winter was harsh, however, as they were hit by snow and sleet which halted construction of the settlement. Fewer than 50 of the original 110 survived the winter. With little idea of how to farm the new land, the Pilgrims benefited greatly from the expertise of a local Indian named Squanto, who spoke English and knew the secrets of surviving in the New World. Using the techniques Squanto showed them, the colonists had a bountiful fall harvest in 1621.
That same year, Plymouth Governor William Bradford announced that a Thanksgiving Day would be held in honor of the harvest. The Indians, including Squanto, were invited for a three-day celebration that included games, music and a feast. In later years, the tradition of having celebrations after the harvest was maintained, usually in the month of November, which finally started the Thanksgiving holiday in America.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
