The Pilgrims were a group of Puritans living in England who faced persecution from the king for their religious beliefs. They asked the king for permission to leave for America on the Mayflower, which had a difficult journey. Upon arriving in America, the Pilgrims faced hardship through the winter with sickness, starvation, and death. The Native Americans known as Indians helped the Pilgrims by teaching them how to hunt, fish, and grow crops. In the following winter, the Pilgrims had food and shelter. They held a feast lasting a week to celebrate and give thanks to God, inviting the Indians who had helped them. This feast became the first Thanksgiving celebrated in America.

1. THE FIRST THANKSGIVING

2. A long time ago, there were a group of people called Puritans who lived in England. They had their own beliefs and ways to pray to God.

3. There was a king of England who thought everyone should go to his church. As Pilgrims did not accept, the king threatened them with going to jail.

4. The Pilgrims then asked the king to allow them to leave the country. So the pilgrims set sail for America on a ship called the “Mayflower.”

5. The trip to America was long and hard. There were storms and the ship was really crowded.

6. When they got to America, it was winter and there were no food or houses. Many of the pilgrims died from sickness, starvation and freezing to death.

7. The Pilgrims found some people living in the new land. They called them Indians. They saw the Pilgrims suffering and they decided to help them.

8. They showed them how to hunt and fish. They showed them how to grow corn and pumpkins.

9. The Indians also helped them build houses out of the trees.

10. When winter came again, the Pilgrims had plenty of food and a place to live.

11. The Pilgrims were so happy that they began to celebrate and then invited their friends , the Indians and shared everything in a big feast.

12. The feast lasted for a whole week and they ate turkey, fish, deer, sweet potatoes, corn and pumpkin.

13. But the first thing they did was to say a prayer to thank God for giving them friends, food, houses and a place to live where they could go to any church they wanted.

14. Thanksgiving is still celebrated in all the USA territory as a remembrance of that special gathering on November 26, 1861

15. Thank you and…

16. Adapted and prepared by JORGE IGNACIO MOLINA HERNÁNDEZ Fundación Universitaria Luis Amigó English History and Culture 2010