If you've visited some of my other holiday pages, you've seen interest on my part in the history or cultural beginnings of the day. It's amazing as to how many things I've learned recently as compared to what I was originally taught. And the history behind the first Thanksgiving is no exception.

We all know the story of how the Pilgrims came to America and landed at Plymouth Rock. We learned that only 50% of them survived that first winter and that come spring, that they were befriended by the native Indians. The Indians helped them build their homes and taught them to raise crops that would grow in the rocky soil. The result of all this was a 3-day feast which became known as the first Thanksgiving.

What I didn't know was that a few of these Indians had been educated in England and actually welcomed the Pilgrims in English. I also don't recall much emphasis being placed on the Mayflower itself, but in the site called the Mayflower Web Pages, you'll not only learn about the ship, but of the passengers as well.

So click on the links below for an extended learning experience. Two of the links below are off-site. They open in a new window. To return to this page, just click on the "x" and it will bring you back to this page.

The Plimoth Plantation

The Plimoth Plantation is a replica of the original settlement of the Plymouth Colony. This village was established in 1947 by Henry Hornblower II. The museum includes replicas of the Mayflower, the English Village, a Wampanoag Village, the Hornblower Visitor Center, a craft center, the Maxwell and Nye Barns and the Plimoth Grist Mill.

Join me in a virtual tour of the Plimoth Pawtuxet Museum courtesy of Scholastic.

Credits:

Content and graphics with exception of "Landing at Plymouth Rock" by Betty's Family Fun Place. "Landing at Plymouth Rock" painting by Henry A. Bacon 1877 licensed under Free Commons.