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Embarkation of the Pilgrims by Robert W. Weir courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol. |
This painting, called Embarkation of the Pilgrims, shows the leaders of the Pilgrims, including William Brewster holding the Bible, Pastor John Robinson, Governor Carver, William Bradford, Miles Standish, and their families in prayer as they were preparing to leave Delft Haven, Holland on July 22, 1620.
This ship was called the Speedwell and they planned to take it all the way to Virginia. They sailed to the coast of England to meet up with the merchants who would accompany them in another ship called the Mayflower. Both ships began the journey, but the Speedwell started leaking so badly that the Pilgrims dared not go any further in it. They headed back to England, and eventually sold the Speedwell. Everyone got on board the Mayflower and they all sailed together in one ship—one fairly small ship! It was tiny compared to the large vessels that cross the ocean today.
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This picture shows the Mayflower II at sea. The Mayflower II is a reproduction of the Separatists' ship, the original Mayflower. It is currently anchored in Plymouth Harbor, MA. Photo courtesy of Plimouth Plantation. |
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This Currier and Ives print shows what may have happened when the Pilgrims finally came ashore at Plimouth. You can see some of the people giving thanks to God. Other depictions show them kneeling in gratitude and praise to God for His help with the journey. Image courtesy of PBS. |
Though their intended destination was Virginia, the Mayflower ended up sighting land just off the coast of what is now Cape Cod, Massachusetts. After the rough ocean journey, they were happy to see this spot!
Anchoring their ship in a safe spot in Plimouth Harbor, Massachusetts, they would face many challenges, including the cold November winter that had set in.
Click here for another artist's look at the landing of the Pilgrims.
Governor Bradford reported on their landing with these words, (Note: You'll see that Governor Bradford wrote and spoke an older form of English. Some spellings are different, but if you use your imagination, you can get his meaning just fine.)
Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees & blessed ye God of heaven, who had brought them over ye vast & furious ocean, and delivered them from all ye periles & miseries therof, againe to set their feete on ye firme and stable earth, their proper elemente… Being thus passed ye vast ocean, and a sea of troubles before in their preparation (as may be remembred by ye which wente before), they had now no friends to wellcome them, nor inns to entertaine or refresh their weatherbeaten bodys, no houses or much less townes to repaire too, to seeke for succoure. What could not sustaine them but ye spirite of God & His grace?
QUESTION 4
True or False
When the Pilgrims landed at Plimouth, there were lots of friends there to greet them and make the feel at home.
- True
- False
QUESTION 5
True or False
According to Governor Bradford, the Pilgrims had nothing to rely on except the goodness of God and the kindness of His grace.
- True
- False
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This photo shows what a typical home in the Plimouth Colony might have looked like. It was many months before the Pilgrims had reliable shelters like this in which to live. Photo courtesy of Plimouth Plantation. |
As Governor Bradford observed, things went from rough to tough for the Pilgrims, but they didn't let that stop them, because they believed they were on a mission with God. It would have been great if they had landed somewhere with a settlement and buildings and people who could welcome them. But since there was nothing there, the Pilgrims had to build their homes and settle in during a very harsh and cruel winter. They had brought some tools and furniture items with them, but any of the people who knew how to make needed items were too busy with the day to day necessities of building shelter and getting food. Many became sick and died, but those who lived kept on trusting God and working hard.
The Pilgrims planted many crops and in the fall of 1621 they had a good harvest—so good and so plentiful that they felt they must celebrate and thank God for His help.
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This photograph shows what two of the participants from the first Thanksgiving celebration may have looked like. Image courtesy of Plimouth Plantation. |
Governor William Bradford showed his godly leadership by calling for a big feast. Three days were set aside to give thanks to God and celebrate the help He had given the Pilgrims. Bradford invited all the members of the Plimouth Colony and all the Indians who lived nearby. The first Thanksgiving was born! Here is part of a passage from Governor Bradford's own pen, but this time the language has been modernized:
They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. For as some were thus employed in affairs abroad, others were exercised in fishing, about cod and bass and other fish, of which they took good store, of which every family had their portion. All the summer there was no want; and now began to come in store of fowl, as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees). And besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc. Besides, they had about a peck of meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to that proportion. Which made many afterwards write so largely of their plenty here to their friends in England, which were not feigned but true reports.
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The First Thanksgiving by Brownscombe. Image courtesy of Pilgrim Hall. |
Many people came to the first Thanksgiving celebration. The Pilgrims were good neighbors, and they invited all the Indians who lived nearby, including Massasoit, a chief who had been very friendly and helpful to them.
 Would you like to have been at the first Thanksgiving? Why? Would you enjoy the hard work of clearing land and building your home from scratch? What skills would you or your family offer to the others in the group, if you had to do that today?
Since the days of the Pilgrims and Indians and Governor Bradford, the tradition of Thanksgiving has changed and grown. There have been many different efforts to remind Americans to take time out to thank God. During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress called for days of thanksgiving and prayer.
Today, people celebrate Thanksgiving in all kinds of ways. The most common thing we do isn't that different from what those original Pilgrims did. We gather with our family and friends and celebrate together the fantastic blessings we enjoy.
How will you celebrate Thanksgiving this year? Do you have a special way of acknowledging God's goodness to you and your family? Do you do something special to help others? Whether you are with your family or out helping others, be sure that you take some time to tell God how very much you appreciate His goodness to you! And have a great Thanksgiving!
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The Embarkation of the Pilgrims |
QUESTION 6
Take another look at the painting called Embarkation of the Pilgrims. The artist has chosen to show the various leaders of the Pilgrims doing two really important things—reading the Bible and praying.
Why do you think the artist showed the leaders in prayer?
- They are praying because they were really scared about the trip, and when you are scared, it is a good idea to pray.
- The Pilgrims are praying, because they are very religious people, and that is what religious people do—they pray a lot.
- The Pilgrim leaders are shown praying because they want God's help and blessing on every part of their journey.
QUESTION 7
Look closely at the left side of the painting, Embarkation of the Pilgrims. There is a rainbow across the sky. Why do you think that the artist placed a rainbow in this painting?
- Everybody loves rainbows. He put a rainbow in the painting to make people feel good.
- Since the leaders are gathered under a canopy that protects them from the rain, the artist wants to show that the rainstorm has stopped and the Pilgrims will be able to sail to the New World without any bad weather.
- The rainbow is a reminder from the artist that God protects and preserves His people.
QUESTION 8
Read again the words of Governor William Bradford as he describes the preparations the Pilgrims made for the winter:
They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. All the summer there was no want; and now began to come in store of fowl, as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees). And besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc. Besides, they had about a peck of meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to that proportion. Which made many afterwards write so largely of their plenty here to their friends in England, which were not feigned but true reports.
Which of the following do you think best explains the situation as Governor Bradford has described it?
- Everything had gone foul for the Pilgrims. They wanted many things and had few, so they wrote to their friends back in England telling them that the New World was a bad place to live.
- The Pilgrims didn't have many things to be thankful for, so they decided to let all their animals go wild and give up on trying to make a living in the New World.
- The Pilgrims had much to be thankful for—their crops had done well and there were plenty of birds for food. As they approached the winter and readied their homes, they were so pleased they wrote to their friends in England to tell them how well everything was going.
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This photo shows what the buildings at Plimouth Colony were like—do they look the same as your home or different? Photo courtesy of Galen Frysinger. |
Have you ever gone camping? If you have been to a fairly remote campground, you understand that everything takes a lot of work because you don't have all the modern conveniences of home. That's what it was like for the Pilgrims those first several years at the Plimouth Colony. There was no running water, so they had to bring water from the spring nearby. There was nothing to heat their homes except for fires that burned the wood they cut down in the nearby forests. And when laundry was done, it sure wasn't in a washing machine! Cooking was also done over open fires, and homes were simple wooden structures made of logs with thatched roofs. Would you like to live that way today, if you had a choice? Do you think your mom or dad would like to live they way the Pilgrims did?
Even though things were pretty rough for the Pilgrims during those first years, they kept on persevering, and soon, they had a wonderful place to live! Can you think of some verses in the Bible that talk about perseverance—keeping on, even when things get tough? Read here.
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This picture shows what two of the participants in the first Thanksgiving feast may have looked like. Is this like your Thanksgiving celebration? Image courtesy of Plimouth Plantation. |
How will you celebrate Thanksgiving this year?
The most important thing about Thanksgiving is to be thankful! That's right. It may seem obvious, but sometimes with all the other things going on, we can forget what the day is all about.
Since you are a member of The Presidential Prayer Team for Kids, you are the perfect person to help everyone remember the purpose of Thanksgiving! You can start out by remembering to express your thanks to your teachers, parents and other loved ones for the many good things they do for you every day. Try to use some meaningful words when you express your thanks, like: "Mrs. Bradford, I'm really glad you're my coach," or "Mom, you take such good care of me! Thanks!" You'll find that the more you practice an attitude of gratitude the better you'll get at it. And it's amazing how gratitude can help you get out of a bad mood or give you understanding into a situation that confuses you. Give it a try. You may be surprised!
Read the poem below. We’re including it here so you can share it with your family on Thanksgiving. Perhaps you could ask your mom or dad if you could read this poem at the dinner table, before or after the meal. Or you could even use it as your mealtime grace for your Thanksgiving feast. You could make a copy for each person around your table and ask that everyone read it together. There are lots of ways you can use this poem. What ideas do you have?
Click here to read the poem.
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