Bell Work What are some common traits of the southern colonies? This Day in History: September 20, Confederates defeat Union troops at the Battle of Chickamauga in northern Georgia. September 20, Ferdinand Magellan sets sail for Spain in an attempt to find a western route to Asia. September 20, Chester Arthur becomes the third president to serve in one year. September 20, The returning Lewis and Clark reach the first white settlement on the Missouri River. September 20, Upton Sinclair is born.

The Pilgrims in New England

The Puritans During the Protestant Reformation Henry VIII split with the Roman Catholic Church and created the Church of England. However, the church differed little from the Catholic Church. Puritans were members of the Church of England who wanted to restore the church to its original purity. Pilgrims were a radical minority of the Puritans that wanted to separate from the Church of England.

The Pilgrims leave England In 1608, the Pilgrims decided to move to the Netherlands in order to practice their religion freely. The Pilgrims found religious freedom in the Netherlands but they did not like that their children were learning the Dutch language and culture and forgetting English customs. In 1617 they decided to travel to America so they returned to England and formed a joint-stock and were granted permission to settle in Virginia.

The Mayflower Sails to America On September 16, 1620 the Mayflower left England with 102 passengers. Of the 102 passengers on board, only 35 were Pilgrims. The journey lasted 65 days and remarkably only one passenger died and one baby was born en route.

The Mayflower Compact After some preliminary surveys the passengers aboard the Mayflower chose Plymouth Bay as their site. Before disembarking, the Pilgrims drew up and signed the Mayflower Compact because they were outside the jurisdiction of the Virginia colony. The document was a simple agreement to form a crude government and to submit to the will of the majority under the regulations agreed upon. Promising step toward genuine self-government.

Plymouth Bay Colony During the winter of only 44 out of 102 settlers survived. In March of 1621, Samoset, an Indian, walked into Plymouth Colony. He introduced them to a Patuxet Indian named Squanto who helped them grow their crops and taught them fertilizer techniques. By the autumn of 1621 the Plymouth community was thriving and they held their first Thanksgiving that year.

Mayflower Compact Assignment Imagine a planet has been discovered that can support human life and your group has been sent there to establish a colony. Establish laws that will govern how the people on this planet will interact with each other. Establish a system of government, an economy, etc.

Reading Quiz on Monday Chapter 3.2, pages 78-84