Protestant Reformation Separatists Persecution Pilgrims Plymouth Colony Vocabulary Protestants Protestant Reformation Separatists Persecution Pilgrims Mayflower Compact Squanto

Essential Questions Why did the Separatists start a colony in North America? What was the Mayflower Compact? Explain why the colonists at Plymouth wanted the Mayflower Compact What hardships did the colonists face? How did Native Americans help the Plymouth Colony to survive?

Religious divisions In 1517 Martin Luther, a German Monk challenged the practices of the Catholic Church. He and hi followers split with the Catholic Church. They objected to the power of the Popes and the teaching that believers could gain eternal life by doing good deeds.

Protestant Reformation Luther argued that people could be saved only by faith in God. Because of their protests against the Church Luther’s supporters became known as Protestants The Protestant Reformation divided Europe. Soon the Protestants split themselves forming many different churches.

And the story continues . . . . . Spain financed Columbus’s voyage because they wanted a new route to Asia. Europeans arrived in “the New World” thus beginning the Columbian Exchange of ideas across the globe! The Dutch and French set up trading forts in North America. Their “gold” is fur! The first successful English colony, Jamestown is established in Virginia. They begin growing tobacco.

Who are the Separatists? In the 17th century a group of English citizens wanted to “separate” from the Church of England. They didn’t believe it represented the “true” Christian faith. The government of England (Parliament) made this a crime. Many Separatists were jailed, fined, and sometimes even executed by the English throne. In England and other nations people who did not follow the established religion were often persecuted. Persecution is the mistreatment or punishment of certain people for their beliefs. The Separatists decided to leave England.

The Separatists Leave England In the early 1600’s, a group of Separatists left England for Leyden, a city in the Netherlands. The Dutch allowed them to worship freely. But over time the Pilgrims worried their children would grow up more Dutch than English, also they missed their English way of life. Many Pilgrims decided to return back to England. Leyden in the Netherlands Separatists sail back to England!

The Separatists sail to North America The Separatists decided to sail to the Americas. Unlike the settlers of Jamestown, they weren’t in search of GOLD. And unlike the settlers of New France, they weren’t looking for FUR. Instead the Separatists hoped they would find a place where they could practice their religion freely while still keeping their English ways.

In 1620 more than 100 Separatists left England and set sail in a small ship called the Mayflower to set up a colony in Virginia. After a stormy two-month voyage the Pilgrims landed on the shores of present-day Massachusetts. Exhausted the Pilgrims decided to stay. Before the Pilgrims went ashore they established rules for their new settlement, which they called Plymouth. They wrote the Mayflower Compact. Forty-one men who signed it agreed to work together.

“We, whose names are underwritten “We, whose names are underwritten . . . having undertaken for the Glory of God, and advancement of the Christian Faith . . . a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia . . . do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws . . . as shall be thought most [fitting] and convenient for the general good of the colony.” ~Mayflower Compact Clipart by: KPMDoodles

Signing the Mayflower Compact – Rules for the colony BY THE PEOPLE! The Pilgrims Arrive! Signing the Mayflower Compact – Rules for the colony BY THE PEOPLE!

Make a Connection If you were just stepping off the Mayflower what concerns would you have regarding your survival in a new land? Make a list:

Early Hardships The Pilgrims built their settlement on the site of a Native American village that had been abandoned because of disease. With the cold harsh winter bearing upon them, the Pilgrims didn’t have time to build adequate shelter from the cold, or plant food to eat throughout the winter. Nearly half the settlers died of disease or starvation. The Pilgrims believed it was God’s will for them to remain in Plymouth.

Help from the Native Americans In the spring, the Pilgrims received help from the Native Americans. A Pemaquid Indian named Samoset had learned English from earlier explorers. He introduced the Pilgrims to Massasoit, chief of the Wampanoag tribe. The Wampanoag who helped the Pilgrims most was named Squanto. He brought the Pilgrims seeds of native plants (corn, pumpkin, beans) and showed them how to plant them. In the Fall, the Pilgrims has a good harvest. They thought God had given them the harvest and set aside a day for giving thanks. Today we call it Thanksgiving.

Did the FIRST Thanksgiving really look like this?

Thanksgiving Myths

The First Thanksgiving What did the Pilgrims eat at their Thanksgiving? They didn't have corn on the cob, apples, pears, potatoes or even cranberries. No one knows if they had turkey. The only food we know they had for sure was deer. And they didn't eat with a fork. they didn't have forks back then! What did the Pilgrims wear? They did not dress in black, they did not wear those funny buckles, weird shoes, or black steeple hats. Those images were drawn in the nineteenth century, when the popular image of the Pilgrims was formed. Did the Pilgrims really look like this?

What do historians know for sure? The first Thanksgiving was in 1621 that lasted for three days. The feast most likely occurred between Sept. 21 and Nov. 11. About 90 Wampanoag Indians and 52 colonists participated. Massasoit, the Chief of the Wamanoag Tribe contributed at least five deer to the feast. The Pilgrims DID NOT HAVE cranberry sauce, potatoes and pies. The Pilgrims and Wampanoag communicated through Squanto, a member of the Patuxet tribe, who learned English from earlier explorers. There are only two surviving descriptions of the first Thanksgiving. One is in a letter by colonist Edward Winslow. He mentions some of the food and activities. The second description was in a book written by William Bradford 20 years afterward. His account was lost for almost 100 years. Abraham Lincoln named Thanksgiving an annual holiday in 1863.

Today’s Thinking Focus Why did the Pilgrims start a colony in North America? How did Native Americans help the Plymouth Colony to survive?

On a clean sheet of paper define these words using your notes Protestants Protestant Reformation Separatists Persecution Pilgrims Mayflower Compact Squanto

Sites & Sources ZoopDog Creations© Separatists Pilgrims The following sites and sources were used in this PowerPoint presentation for clipart, content, and font selections: KPM Doodles clipart: www.etsy.com/shop/kpmdoodles Pickychicken clipart: www.etsy.com/shop/pickychicken Prettiful Designs clipart: www.etsy.com/shop/PrettifulDesigns# Kevin and Amanda fonts www.kevinandamanda.com/fonts/ Dollar Photo Club: www.dollarphotoclub.com Big Stock Photos: www.bigstockphoto.com Davidson, J. (2003). The American Nation: Beginnings through 1877. Needham: Prentice Hall Boorstin, D. & Kelley, B. (1992). The History of the United States. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall Separatists Pilgrims Mayflower Compact Squanto .   ZoopDog Creations©