Yahoo News Explains: Who were the first Pilgrims in America?

If you remember anything from history class, you already know a small group of people boarded the Mayflower in 1620 in hopes of a better life in America.

Some explorers wanted the freedom to practice their faith openly, while others came with the hope of making money. A couple of the crew members had actually been to America before to fish or to explore.

A man on the Mayflower, Stephen Hopkins, had tried to settle in the New World 10 years earlier but got shipwrecked in Bermuda. Shakespeare’s renowned play “The Tempest” was allegedly based on that wreck.

After 66 days aboard the ship, they were forced to dock in what is now Cape Cod, despite aiming for New York. But their sodium-filled diet at sea had weakened many of the Pilgrims’ immune systems.

Two to three people died every day during their first two months on land, leaving only 52 after the first year.

The survivors eventually made a treaty with the Native Americans; both parties agreed to not harm the other.

In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims held a three-day feast to celebrate their first harvest. While Native Americans attended, there’s no evidence that they were invited, despite helping to plant.

Many speculate that this feast served as the basis for modern-day Thanksgiving, but Native American and European families had held similar festivals before.

The meal included waterfowl, venison, deer brought by the Native Americans and possibly cornmeal dishes. There likely weren’t any desserts, however, because settlers lacked butter and had no ovens for baking.

While giving thanks this year, remember that the people who came to America in 1620 were just ordinary people looking for a change.