The document provides background information on the origins of the Thanksgiving holiday. It describes the religious and political climate in 17th century England that caused the Puritans and Separatists to seek religious freedom elsewhere. In 1620, a group of Separatists known as the Pilgrims secured funding from investors to establish a colony in North America. They sailed on the Mayflower and intended to settle near the Hudson River, but harsh conditions forced them to land at Plymouth Rock instead. In the first winter, half of the colonists perished from sickness or starvation. The following autumn, the Pilgrims shared an harvest feast with the Wampanoag tribe, led by the chief Massasoit, which is considered the first Thanksgiving celebration.

1. Why Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving
November 28, 2013
David W. Humphrey
Information source: Wikipedia

2. Why Thanksgiving?
In school, they teach us the 3rd grade version of Thanksgiving.
Now it’s time for the rest of the story…

3. The World in 1620
In England
• Church = state
• Religious unrest in England and persecution
of dissenters
• Puritans were members of the Church, but
sought to reform it (settled Boston in 1629)
• Separatists believed Church of England was
corrupt and wanted to worship separately
• Some separatists fled to Leyden (NL) for
religious freedom
In the New World
• Jamestowne settlement (Virginia) 1607
• New Amsterdam (Dutch) 1609
1603:
King James I of England
King James VI of Scots
Claimed King of France

4. What motivated the Pilgrims?
Why colonize the New World?
• Separatists first emigrate to Leyden (NL) for
religious tolerance, but worry about future of their
settlement.
• 1618: Petition the King for a “patent” to settle
“northern Virginia” - mouth of Hudson River close
to tolerant Dutch settlements.
• 1620: Virginia Company, “merchant adventurers”
finance voyage and new settlement with the goal of
finding and importing gold, silver, animal skins to
England.

5. The Journey to the New World
London investors finance the 1620 voyage
• May: Speedwell sails with Separatists from
Leyden to South Hampton, joined there by
investors and London recruits on Mayflower
• Speedwell abandoned in Plymouth, England
due to leaks
• August: Mayflower continues alone with 35
Separatists & 67 non-Separatist Londoners
• Remaining Separatists return to Leyden
Destination: Mouth of the Hudson River

6. Why Plymouth?
Landing in the New World
• November 11: Anchor in
Provincetown (Cape Cod)
• December: Continue to mainland,
land at Plymouth Rock
• Decision to remain here instead
of continuing to Hudson River
• Aboard ship signing of the
Mayflower Compact – legal
structure for Plymouth Colony
until 1691
1630
Provincetown
Barrington
Kennedys

7. “Plimouth” Plantation
Establishing the colony
• Mayflower remains through first winter.
Colonists sleep aboard while Common
House is built.
• February 1621: Horrible conditions. Half
the colony (50 people) dies of sickness
or starvation.
• April 1621: Mayflower returns to
England with small cargo of beaver
skins and sassafras.

8. “Plimouth” Plantation
Meeting the natives
• Occasional contact with friendly
natives, but also attacks.
• February 1621: Samoset, Englishspeaking native, walks into settlement
with words of “welcome!”
• Gradually more contact to Squanto,
Massasoit, chief of Wampanoag tribe
• Alliance of settlers with Wampanoag
against other tribes (Narragansett)

9. The First Thanksgiving
First successes
• Summer 1621: successful harvest
• November: Fortune arrives with 35 new
settlers
• Massasoit’s visit with 90 men coincides
with colony’s harvest feast
First Thanksgiving attended by 53 settlers
and 90 natives!
“And besids water foule, ther was great
store of wild Turkies, of which they took
many…” -- William Bradford

10. Aftermath
The colony grows
• 1622: Additional settlers arrive on the
Anne and Little James
• 1623: Most of original Leyden
congregation makes it to Plymouth
• 1624: 180 settlers in Plymouth, 32
houses plus Common House
•
1668: Thanksgiving becomes an
annual festival in the colonies
•
1789: George Washington proclaims
first nation Thanksgiving celebration
•
1863: President Abraham Lincoln
establishes Thanksgiving as national
holiday
Plimoth Village

11. Happy Thanksgiving!

12. Thanksgiving Glossary
Plimouth Plantation
Nauset
The Mayflower
The Speedwell
Miles Standish
Massasoit
Pilgrim Fathers
Plymouth Rock
Plymouth Rock
Narragansett
William Bradford
Samoset
The Separatists
Sagamore
New Amsterdam
“Adventure” capital
Jamestowne
Provincetown
The Mayflower Compact
Thievish Harbor
King James I
Bermuda
Stephen Hopkins
Wampanoag
Squanto