In the fall of 1621, the English colonists at Plymouth and about 90 Wampanoag men shared a three-day harvest celebration, often called the First Thanksgiving. The Wampanoag had lived on that land for more than 12,000 years, and they live there still. These pages tell the story from both sides.
Eight pages, best read in order. Pages 1 to 4 each have a short text and questions: the Wampanoag and their homeland, the Mayflower and the first winter, Tisquantum and the agreement of 1621, and the harvest feast itself. Page 5 is part of a letter Edward Winslow wrote in 1621, a firsthand account, with a question about whose side it leaves out. Page 6 sorts facts from myths, page 7 is a timeline from 1612 to 1622, and page 8 tells of the Wampanoag today, their language and the National Day of Mourning.
Start with page 1, so the story begins with the people who were already there. Read Winslow's letter on page 5 aloud and talk about what a firsthand account can and cannot tell us. Page 8 is a chance to talk, gently, about why the same day can feel different to different people.
Read a page together and talk about what your family knows about the 1621 harvest feast, often called the “First Thanksgiving.” Look up the Mashpee or Aquinnah Wampanoag tribes' own websites together.
The history behind Thanksgiving, told from both sides: the Wampanoag, the Mayflower, Tisquantum and the harvest feast of 1621. Children read short texts and a letter written in 1621, answer questions, sort facts from myths, read a timeline and learn about the Wampanoag today.
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