The Mayflower Compact and Plymouth Pilgrims: The Mayflower Compact and Plymouth

The Pilgrims Leave England In 1607, a group of English Separatists, known as Pilgrims, moved to Holland to escape persecution from the Church of England Separatists- wanted to SEPARATE Church of England After a while, they became unhappy in Holland as well and asked the Virginia Company for a charter to America.

Pilgrims Get a Charter The Pilgrims received a charter from the Virginia Company in 1620 to settle in northern Virginia. What other group had a charter? The Pilgrims agreed to work for the company as indentured servants. What is an indentured servant?

From Virginia to Plymouth, Massachusetts In 1620, the Pilgrims set sail for Virginia on the Mayflower, but a storm blew them to Massachusetts. Oops… What possible problems might they encounter? They named their new settlement Plymouth.

The Mayflower Compact Since they landed outside of the limits of the charter, it did not apply anymore. The Pilgrims developed the Mayflower Compact as a way to create laws. It was a social contract to make laws for the benefit of the whole settlement. Do you think it was a good idea to create this? Why or why not?

Pilgrims’ First Winter Just like the settlers at Jamestown, the Pilgrims went through a starving time. More than half of the settlers died during the first winter. Native American Help Samoset and Squanto were Native Americans who had learned to speak English from European fishermen. They acted as interpreters between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags (their tribe). They helped negotiate a peace treaty and showed the Pilgrims how to plant, hunt, and fish.

The First Thanksgiving In the fall, the settlers celebrated the blessings of their good harvest by having a three day feast. This became known as the first Thanksgiving. Officially made a holiday by president Lincoln in 1863 That feast came to represent the peace that existed between the settlers and the Indians at the time.