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The Wampanoag are skilled planters. They have given thanks for successful harvests since long before the Pilgrims arrived.
Illustration by Mark Fredrickson
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This article was prepared in consultation with Darius Coombs, Director of Wampanoag and Eastern Woodlands Performance Research and Interpretive Training at Plimoth Patuxet, Plymouth, MA; Dennis Zotigh, Cultural Specialist, National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, D.C.; and Donna Curtin, Executive Director, Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth, MA
The Plymouth Story
The Pilgrims are famous for building a settlement called Plymouth. But do you know the whole story?
As You Read: Underline a challenge the Pilgrims faced. Circle a challenge the Wampanoag faced.
Ssgt. Veuril Mcdavid/Newscom
A replica, or copy, of the Mayflower
Imagine this. It’s the fall of 1620. Months ago, you left your home in England and boarded a ship with your parents and other Pilgrims. Soon, you’ll step ashore in a new land. You wonder: What will it take to survive?
Now picture the scene from a different point of view. You’re a member of a Native American community called the Wampanoag (WAHM-pah-nawg). You’re on a beach, scraping out a log to make a mishoon, or canoe. You see a ship sailing toward your shore. You wonder: Who are these newcomers?
Four hundred years ago, the Pilgrims arrived in what is now Massachusetts and built a settlement they called Plymouth. The tale of the Pilgrims—and the Native Americans they met—is a famous chapter in American history.
Imagine this. It’s the fall of 1620. Months ago, you left your home in England. You boarded a ship with your parents and other Pilgrims. Soon, you’ll step ashore in a new land. You wonder: What will it take to survive?
Now picture the scene from a different point of view. You’re a member of a Native American community called the Wampanoag (WAHM-pah-nawg). You’re on a beach, scraping out a log to make a canoe. You see a ship sailing toward your shore. You wonder: Who are these newcomers?
Four hundred years ago, the Pilgrims arrived in what is now Massachusetts. They built a settlement called Plymouth. The tale of the Pilgrims, and the Native Americans they met, is a famous chapter in American history.
A Long Journey
The Pilgrims were 102 men, women, and children who left England to find religious freedom. In September 1620, they set sail for America on the Mayflower. The trip was hard. Storms raged, and many passengers got seasick.
In November, the ship reached America. But huge challenges were still ahead. Winter was on the way, and there was little time to build shelter. The Pilgrims were also running out of food. It was too cold to plant crops.
The Pilgrims were 102 people who left England to find religious freedom. In September 1620, they set sail on the Mayflower. The trip was hard. There were storms, and many passengers got seasick.
In November, the ship reached America. But big challenges were still ahead. Winter was on the way, and there was little time to build homes. The Pilgrims were also running out of food. It was too cold to plant crops.
The Pilgrims set sail from an English city called Plymouth in 1620. Bad weather made their trip longer than expected. Look at their route on the map. In what direction did they sail to get to North America?
Help Arrives
The Pilgrims’ first winter was difficult. “Half the people died,” says history expert Nathaniel Philbrick.
But help would soon come from the Wampanoag. The Wampanoag weren’t sure what to think about the Pilgrims. In the past, English explorers had forced some Wampanoag into slavery. Explorers had also spread deadly diseases.
But in March 1621, the Wampanoag formed an alliance with the Pilgrims. A Wampanoag man named Tisquantum helped the two groups communicate. Years earlier, Tisquantum had been kidnapped by explorers and enslaved in Europe. He had learned to speak English before returning to his homeland.
The Pilgrims’ first winter was hard. “Half the people died,” says history expert Nathaniel Philbrick.
Reason to Celebrate
The two groups traded. And Tisquantum taught the Pilgrims to plant corn. He even shared a Wampanoag tip—putting dead fish in the soil to help the plants grow.
Plymouth soon had a successful harvest. In the fall of 1621, the two groups met for a feast. Many people call it the first Thanksgiving!
The two groups traded. And Tisquantum taught the Pilgrims to plant corn. He even shared a Wampanoag tip. It was putting dead fish in the soil to help the plants grow.
Illustration by Greg Copeland
The Wampanoag have lived in what is now Massachusetts and Rhode Island for more than 12,000 years.
When the Pilgrims first arrived, the Wampanoag helped them. But more settlers kept arriving. The Wampanoag were forced off their land. Thousands of them were killed or enslaved in wars with the settlers.
Today, about 10,000 Wampanoag live in the region. Many carry on traditions, like keeping their language alive. “We’re still here, and we still have a thriving culture,” says Wampanoag expert Darius Coombs.
1. What is the purpose of the first two paragraphs?
2. Summarize the challenges the Pilgrims faced.
3. Why were the Wampanoag unsure of the Pilgrims?