· Day #2
5th grade
Social Studies
The Pilgrims were being persecuted, or treated poorly, in England because they did not share
the same beliefs as the Church of England. They sought refuge in the Netherlands, which had
more religious tolerance. Because of tough economic times and the fear that they would lose
their language and culture, this group decided to board a merchant ship, the Mayflower that
was bound for the land of Virginia in America. They wanted to continue to practice their faith
In peace.
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Due to rough seas, the Mayflower did not reach the coast of Virginia.
Instead, the Mayflower landed by the shores of present-day Massachusetts
in 1620 after 65 grueling days at sea. Before setting foot on land, 41 men
drafted the Mayflower Compact, which would become the first form of
government in the new land. Among those present were Myles Standish,
William Bradford,]on Carver, and William Brewster.
Since the Mayflower landed in the cold month of November J the Pilgrims thought it would be
best to live on the ship. A small boat would take some ashore so they could begin building
homes. Due to the harsh climate, poor living conditions on the boat, and inadequate housing
on the mainland, over half of the settlers died that first winter. Malnutrition and the effects
from the cold were the main causes of death. When the spring of 1621 arrived, the Pilgrims
began building homes and hying to find food.
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Wise
GUYS
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With the help of Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet band of the
Wampanoag, the Pilgrims learned how to plant corn, how to hunt beaver,
and where to find fish. Without Squanto's help, the Pilgrims would not
have had much of a harvest in the fall of 1621. As a result, The Pilgrims
invited the Native Americans to a harvest feast that lasted for three days,
the first Thanksgiving.
Massasoit, a leader of a Warnpanoag tribe, made an early alliance with the Pilgrims. This led
to strained relations with other tribes. The Pilgrims allowed their livestock to roam freely,
which led to the destruction of many Wampanoag crops. The Pilgrims and other Puritan
settlers began to expand their lands. When Metacomet became a leader in 1662, relations
between the settlers and Wampanoag became tense.
Americans settlers continued their movement westward into more Native American lands. In
1675, Metacomet made one last attempt to drive the English off of the native lands. This war,
known as King Philip's War (a name settlers gave to Metacomet), lasted 14 months. In the
end, Metacomet was captured and beheaded. Some of the tribe escaped to Canada, while
those that surrendered were sold into slavery in the West Indies. The Pilgrims, Puritans, and
other settlers who had come to America for freedom had now taken away those basic rights
from the Wampanoag and surrounding tribes.
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Wise GUYS
The PllJmouth ColonlJ
Name.
Date
Class
Directions: Read the information on the Plymouth Colony. Then answer the questions below.
1. Using evidence from the text, why did the Pilgrims come to America?
2. Using evidence from the text, what were some troubles the Pilgrims had? How were some
of those problems solved?
3. Using evidence from the text, what 'l,t:JJo bad relations between the Pilgrims and
Warnpanoag Indians?
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2016 Wise Guys
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King James of England granted a charter (a document permitting colonists to
settle land claimed by their ruler) to the Virginia Company of London in 1606.
144 men set sail in December of 1606. After stops for supplies in the Caribbean,
they made landfall in present-day Virginia in April of 1607.
Arrival
Upon arriving, they selected a site to build a fort. They chose a location that would be easy to
defend if they were attacked. They named the settlement Jamestown after King James I of
England. The fort was made in a triangular shape.
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The first issue the settlers had to deal with was the swampy land that they chose for their
settlement. It was mosquito infested and the water was not suitable for drinking. The second
issue was the location was not protected from the elements. So in the winter, the winds would
sweep through the settlement and the storms would sometimes be severe.
The third issue was that the majority of men that came to Jamestown were
there to find gold. They did not have the basic skills of hunting, fishing, or
farming to help with the new colony. During the first year in Jamestown,
over half of the men died from diseases, germs from the water, or from
starvation. If it weren't for a supply ship arriving, the rest of the men would
have probably died as well.
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Wise
GUYS
There was a confederacy of tribes in the area known as the
Powhatan. Relations became strained between the settlers and the
Powhatan Indian and they became enemies ..
cAptain Jo~ Smith
Seeing the daily struggles with the men, Captain John Smith assumed control. He informed
the men that if they did not put in an honest day's work, they would not eat. He also tried to
improve relations with the Powhatan but would eventually be taken captive. If it were not for
the chief's daughter, Pocahontas intervening, Smith may have been killed. But the settlers
were able to establish a relationship with the Powhatan and began trading for much needed
goods.
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Captain John Smith was injured in October of 1G09 and had to sail back to England for
treatment. After he left, the winter of 1609 was one of the worst on record. Out of 500 men,
only 60 survived. When winter was over, the remaining settlers wanted to abandon the
colony but when fresh supplies and new colonists arrived from England, they decided to stay.
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Since the land was suitable for farming, the settlers, under the leadership of John Rolfe,begin
planting tobacco. This cash crop was highly sought after in England. A cash crop is a crop
that is sold for money. Because of its popularity, indentured servants (people who worked for
someone else for a period of time in exchange for land or money) were brought to America to
do the hard labor. Eventually, this lead to the first form of slavery in Jamestown when settlers
realized they wouldn't have to pay the slaves to do the farming.
The success of growing tobacco helped Jamestown grow into a successful colony, and as a
result, paved the way for more settlers to come to Virginia. Much to the dismay of the
Powhatan Indians who began to lose their land as settlements began to move farther west
from the coast.
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Wise
GUYS
The "amestown Colon..
Name,
Date
Class
Directions: Read the information on the Jamestown Colony. Then answer the questions below.
1. What does the term "charter" mean?
2. What does the term "cash crop" mean? What was the cash crop in Jamestown?
3. What does the term "indentured servant" mean?
4. What was the "starving time?" How did this affect the settlers?
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2016 Wise GuYs