The Pilgrims fled religious persecution in England by traveling to America aboard the Mayflower. They had a difficult first winter in Plymouth with many dying from sickness and starvation. The Native Americans, called Indians, helped the Pilgrims by teaching them how to hunt, fish, and grow corn and pumpkins. The following fall, after their first successful harvest, the Pilgrims held a celebration feast and gave thanks to God, which later became a tradition known as the first Thanksgiving.