Pilgrims at Plimoth (Plymouth)
The religious quarrels between Catholics and Protestants led to serious wars. In order to escape persecution, a group we now call the Pilgrims moved to the Netherlands then to the Americas. These colonists along with other travelers established a democratic government based on the Mayflower Compact.
Although they planned to land near the Hudson River, the ship encountered storms and so they went back to the Cape and settled at the site of the former Patuxet colony which had been wiped out by illness. Historians estimate that disease killed at least 90 percent of the native population.
In 1621, Massasoit, the Wampanoag leader, sent Squanto (a former Spanish slave) to meet with the English settlers at the Plymouth colony. He befriended them, and helped them to survive the harsh winter.
- Created pilgrim scenes out of stickers
- Made beaded indian corn
- Discussed the difficulty of the Mayflower voyage
- Learned about Squanto
- Added to our history notebooks
Optional Lesson Extension Activities:
- The kids asked for more cartoons, so here you go!
- Charlie Brown's The Mayflower Voyagers (this is just a clip - check your library for the entire video, it is excellent)
- The Mouse on the Mayflower
- There are lots of fun books at the library on this topic, but my absolute favorite is William Bradford Pilgrim Boy by Bradford Smith. It captivatingly and accurately dramatizes the life of William Bradford from his childhood all the way through his governing of Plimoth Plantation.
- Another great book is Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims by Robert Bulla
Assignment:
- In preparation for our next class please read history cards #10-12 covering MA Bay Colony, Rhode Island, and the Salem Witch Trials.
- Don't forget to review your timeline
