The First Thanksgiving

During the1600’s many people in England were very unhappy because they didn’t have freedom of religion. They had to obey the king, so they had to use the same prayer books that the king used. If they violated the laws they were thrown into prison. These people decided to leave England and move to Holland. After moving to Holland they called themselves Pilgrims. They lived in Holland for a long time and later choose to migrate to America. They traveled to America on a ship called the Mayflower. Hundreds of people were on the ship and they finally arrived and saw land. When they got to shore, they landed their ship and named the spot Plymouth Rock. They ended up meeting kind Indians that helped them get settled by showing them how to plant corn, wheat and barley. After growing the crops and working hard throughout the year, the Pilgrims and the Indians came together to celebrate the first Thanksgiving. They gave thanks to God for all his goodness and ever since we have celebrated Thanksgiving in the United States.

Grammar Point: Write a story about a holiday that is celebrated in your native country that isn't celebrated in the United States.

Vocabulary

1. Freedom- the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints.

2. Obey- To do as ordered.

3. Thrown- caused to fall to the ground.

4. Violated- a disrespectful act.

5. Pilgrims- is a name commonly applied to the early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts.

6. Migrate- move from one country or region to another and settle there

7. Plymouth Rock- a boulder in Plymouth supposed to be where the Pilgrims disembarked from the Mayflower.

8. Indians- member of the race of people living in America when Europeans arrived.

9. Crops- is the annual or season's yield of any plant that is grown in significant quantities to be harvested as food

10. Thanksgiving- it is celebrated the fourth Thursday in November in the United States it commemorates a feast held in 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Indians.

Sentences

1. In the New World the Pilgrims found __________.

2. They didn’t need to ____________ the king.

3. The prisoner was ___________ in jail.

4. The man __________ the law when he stole the car.

5. The ________ were the early settlers of the Plymouth Colony who left for the New World in early 17th century.
6. Many Germans ___________ to South America in the mid-19th century.

7. ___________ is the traditional site of disembarkation of William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620.

8. When the Pilgrims arrived the ____________ showed them how to survive in America.

9. Southern plantation owners used _________ instead of money to trade.

10. _________________ is a holiday that is celebrated throughout the United States to show gratitude and appreciation.