1. Plymouth and Jamestown

2. Where did they come from?

3. Where did the Pilgrims come from?
The Pilgrims set sail from England on the Mayflower on September 6, 1620.
(Click here to see a diagram of the Mayflower.)

4. Where did the people from Jamestown come from?
The people from Jamestown came from England. They left England on December 20, 1606 in three boats—the Susan Constant, the Godspeed and the Discovery.

5. When did the Pilgrims arrive in America?
The Pilgrims stepped ashore on December 21, They landed at Plymouth Harbor. The spot is marked by a rock called “The Plymouth Rock.”

6. When did the colonists arrive at Jamestown?
The colonists stepped ashore on the banks of the James River on May 13, 1607.

7. Why did they land on that site?

8. Why did the Pilgrims land at Plymouth?
Cape Cod was the place the Pilgrims planned to land. They were unable to land there so they landed at Plymouth because it was easy to land and they could protect themselves.

9. Why did the colonist land at Jamestown?
The site for Jamestown was picked because it had deep-water and they could protect themselves. It was an unhealthy site and caused sickness because of the surrounding marshes and lack of fresh water.

10. This map shows Jamestown and other routes taken by John Smith.

11. Why did the colonists come to settle in America?

12. Why did the Pilgrims come to Plymouth?
Some of the Pilgrims came to America for religious freedom.
Others came to set up a fishing colony. They would send the fish they caught back to England.

13. Why did the colonists come to Jamestown?
The colonist came to find gold, find a route to the South Seas, and find the Lost Colony of Roanoke.

14. Who were the passengers that came to America?

15. Who were the passengers that came to Plymouth?
The 102 passengers who sailed to Plymouth. There were 41 men, 18 women, 32 boys, and 11 girls. A baby was born on the Mayflower three days before land was sited. He was named Oceanus. Only 1 passenger died at sea.

16. Who were the passengers who came to Jamestown?
There were 104 passengers that came to Jamestown. All of them were men and boys. 45 died on the trip to America.

17. What kind of structure did the settlers build?

18. What kind of structure did the people of Plymouth build?
The people of Pilgrim Village build homes (another view), gardens, storehouses, and animal pens that were surrounded by a high wooden fence.
(Click on “Design a period home interior” after entering this link.)

19. What kind of structure did the people of Jamestown build?
The settlers of Jamestown build a large triangular fort on the banks of the James River. Inside were wattle-and daub-structures with thatched roofs.
(Click here for an early drawing of the fort.)

20. What kind of work did the settlers do?

21. What kind of work did the settlers of Plymouth do?
Many of the settlers were farmers. Others were sailors, fisherman, weavers, coopers, and even printers.

22. What kind of work did the settlers of Jamestown do?
Many of the settlers were called “gentle-adventurers.” This meant they never worked. This unwillingness to work led to problems at Jamestown.

23. What kind of food did the settlers eat?
The settlers ate foods they could grow or meat from animals they could kill by hunting or fishing.

24. What kind of food did the settlers eat at Plymouth?
For breakfast they usually ate mush and meat or cheese.
For lunch, the main meal of the day, they ate stews.
For dinner, they ate bread, cheeses, and leftovers from lunch.

25. What kind of food did the settlers eat at Jamestown?
Corn was the most important food. It could be made into mush, hoecakes, and other kinds of corn bread. Corn cakes were a part of most meals they ate.

26. What kind of clothing did the settlers wear?

27. What kind of clothing did the settlers wear at Plymouth?
The settlers at Plymouth did not wear the black and white as most people believe.
Click to find out what kind of clothing they wore.
Click here for more information.

28. What kind of clothing did the settlers wear at Jamestown?
To see how the first settlers at Jamestown probably looked,
click on the link.
Click here for more information.

29. Who were the Indians that met the first settlers?

30. Who were the Indians at Plymouth?
The Indians who met the Plymouth settlers were Wampanoag People.
Three famous Indians are Massasoit, Samoset, and Squanto.

31. Who were the Indians at Jamestown?
The Indians who met the settlers at Jamestown were the Powhatan Indians. They were an Eastern Woodlands tribe.
Two famous Indians were Pocahontas and Chief Powhatan.

32. Who were other famous people?

33. Who were other famous people in Plymouth?
William Bradford
Miles Standish

34. Who were other famous people in Jamestown?
John Smith

35. Other Activities Mayflower Compact Thanksgiving Color Sheets
Thanksgiving Fun
Timeline of Plymouth