History of the first Pilgrims and Indians

About the Pilgrims
Originally, these individuals fled England, from religious persecution, to Holland. But their ancestors soon found the Dutch lifestyle was a threat to their children's morals and education. Thus, they fled a second time; this time for the 'New World.'

There were two groups who arrived in America; one group was referred to as 'Saints' and the other were known as 'Strangers'. Once the groups decided to settle in Plymouth, both groups agreed to a truce entitled the Mayflower Compact. From it, the two groups would merge together and be known as the 'Pilgrims'. John Carver was elected as their first Governor. However, once they settled, only half of the settlers would survive the first winter. Most of them perished as a result of the voyage over; the threat of fire on the wooden ship forced most of the people to eat their food cold over the two month trip, leading to disease.

About the Indians
Well before the Pilgrims arrived and settled in New England, the area was inhabited by the Wamanpoag Tribe. Led by their sachem, Chief Massasoit, Wamanpoag meant 'people of the dawn' because they lived in the East. They lived by farming, fishing, hunting, and gathering. When winter passed, the villages, as a whole, moved to the shoreline to fish and plant crops. There homes comprised mostly of woven mats that were stretched over wooden frames. This made the mats easy to disassemble and take with them when they headed towards the water. When the cold weather returned, the Indians returned inland, where there focus shifted to hunting various animals in the forests. Occasionally, they would also head to rivers and streams for ice fishing.

The tribe began to decline around the time of the Pilgrims arrival. It further worsened as the Europeans brought disease with them from their exploration. Coupled with a war against a neighboring tribe, the Wamanpoags decided to become allies with the Pilgrims.

Over time, tensions grew between the two parties, mostly because of philosophical differences over the land. The English felt that they owned the land since they purchased it. The Indians held the belief that one only owns the land when they are using it. As the English settlement expanded, allegiance between both groups further declined.

In 1675, Massasoit's son, King Philip, declared war on his white neighbors. A year later, Philip was dead and both sides were decimated. The colonists controlled the regions tribes, as the Wamanpoag's culture, language and identity eventually absorbed into the more contemporary society over the next few centuries.

Since 1970, the Wamanpoag Tribe gathers at the remains of their ancestral lands; on a small section of Martha's Vineyard off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. There, on Thanksgiving Day, they observe a 'Day of Mourning' to protest the European conquest of their land.