The Mayflower | The First Thanksgiving | American History Tellers

What this episode is about

In February 1621, the crew of the Mayflower faces a dire situation as they remain anchored in Plymouth Harbor, grappling with illness and the deaths of their fellow sailors while feeling the burden of responsibility for the struggling colonists. Tensions rise between the desperate crew members and Captain Christopher Jones, who must decide whether to abandon the settlers to return home or stay to ensure their survival amidst the escalating crisis.

Key takeaways

• Mayflower: A floating hospital with death toll as high as the seas it sailed.
• Pilgrims' winter woes: disease, cold, and fearful neighbors—life's trilogy of colonial survival.
• Captain Jones' dilemma: Leave or lead? The sea beckoned, but duty called louder.
• Grim disguise: Dead colonists propped as sentinels—a tableau of desperation and determination.
• Welcome surprise: Samoset's English salutation defied expectations and bridged cultures in crisis.

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 5:00: Captain Christopher Jones, Mayflower, Plymouth Harbor, American History Tellers
2. 5:00 – 10:00: Cape Cod, Mayflower, Samoset
3. 10:00 – 15:00: Captain Christopher Jones, Edward Winslow, John Carver, Mayflower
4. 15:00 – 20:00: William Bradford, Mayflower, Cape Cod, divine providence
5. 20:00 – 25:00: William Bradford
6. 25:00 – 30:00: Fortune, Mayflower, Thomas Weston, William Bradford
7. 30:00 – 34:36: Airship, American History Tellers, Andy Becker, Ellie Stanton

Notable quotes from "The Mayflower | The First Thanksgiving | American History Tellers"

• Imagine it's February 1621 and you're a sailor on board the Mayflower. The ship lies anchored in Plymouth Harbor where it's been transformed into a sort of floating hospital. You've lost track of how many people have died since you.

  about Mayflower · at 0:10

• You'll ever make it out of here alive from Wondery. I'm Lindsey Graham and this is American History Tellers. Our history, your story.

  about American History Tellers · at 2:03

• With mud. On Sundays, they gathered there to worship under their spiritual leader, William Brewster, and pray for their survival. But fighting the weather and illness meant all…

  about William Brewster · at 3:42

• Then greeted them in English, declaring, Welcome, Englishman. He introduced himself as Samoset and explained that he was from an area in Maine where English fishermen…

  about Samoset · at 6:06

• Naraganset by forging alliances with other tribes, the Massachusetts of the north and the Noset to the east on Cape Cod. And as Mesasoa took stock of the pilgrims, he observed…

  about Cape Cod · at 7:55

• Winslow invited the Sich to the settlement for a more formal meeting with the colony's governor, John Carver.

  about John Carver · at 13:43

• Struggled to take root in the foreign soil. And as was typical for the Puritans, colonist William Bradford interpreted Squanto's arrival as an act of divine providence, writing…

  about William Bradford · at 16:55

• By French pirates, it turned out to be an English relief ship called the Fortune. It was sent by their London broker Thomas Weston, the man chiefly responsible for recruiting…

  about Fortune · at 25:13

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Squanto (Tisquantum) — Person · 22 mentions
• Massasoit — Person · 20 mentions
• Myles Standish — Person · 12 mentions
• William Bradford — Person · 7 mentions · first at 16:58
• Corbitant — Person · 6 mentions
• Captain Christopher Jones — Person · 4 mentions · first at 0:33
  Around a coughing woman and a child huddled together on a cot to find Captain Christopher Jones collecting dirty linens. Oh, there you are, Captain. Captain Jones gives you a…
• King James I of England — Person · 3 mentions
• William Brewster — Person · 2 mentions · first at 3:46
• Samoset — Person · 2 mentions · first at 6:11
• John Carver — Person · 2 mentions · first at 13:46
• Thomas Weston — Person · 2 mentions · first at 25:19
  An English relief ship called the Fortune. It was sent by their London broker Thomas Weston, the man chiefly responsible for recruiting investors for Plymouth. And with the…
• Hobomok (Hobbamock) — Person · 2 mentions
• Thomas Dermer — Person · 2 mentions
• Edward Winslow — Person · 1 mention · first at 13:20
  Squanto then relayed the message that Massaso wanted an English envoy to speak with him. A pilgrim leader named Edward Winslow agreed to go. After dawning armor and a sword, he…
• Mohammad Shazi — Person · 1 mention · first at 34:13
  And produced by me, Lindsey Graham for Airship. Audio editing by Mohammad Shazi. Sound design by Molly Bach. Music by Thrum. This episode is written by Ellie Stanton. Edited by…
• Molly Bach — Person · 1 mention · first at 34:15
  Graham for Airship. Audio editing by Mohammad Shazi. Sound design by Molly Bach. Music by Thrum. This episode is written by Ellie Stanton. Edited by Dorian Marina. Senior…
• Ellie Stanton — Person · 1 mention · first at 34:18
  Mohammad Shazi. Sound design by Molly Bach. Music by Thrum. This episode is written by Ellie Stanton. Edited by Dorian Marina. Senior producer Andy Becker. Executive producers are Jenny Lowour Beckman and Marshall Louie for Wondery.
• Andy Becker — Person · 1 mention · first at 34:23
  Is written by Ellie Stanton. Edited by Dorian Marina. Senior producer Andy Becker. Executive producers are Jenny Lowour Beckman and Marshall Louie for Wondery.
• Marshall Louie — Person · 1 mention · first at 34:26
  Andy Becker. Executive producers are Jenny Lowour Beckman and Marshall Louie for Wondery.
• Dorian Marina — Person · 1 mention
• Jenny Lauer Beckman — Person · 1 mention

Companies & orgs

• Wampanoag — Company · 18 mentions
• Narragansett — Company · 10 mentions
• Nauset — Company · 6 mentions
• American History Tellers — Company · 2 mentions · first at 2:17
• Plymouth Colony — Company · 1 mention · first at 3:23
  The winter of 1620 took a grizzly toll on Plymouth colony. As dysentery, scurvy, and pneumonia spread throughout the settlement. Six people died in December and another eight perished in January. And only later in that same.
• Airship — Company · 1 mention · first at 34:11
  History Tellers is hosted, edited, and produced by me, Lindsey Graham for Airship. Audio editing by Mohammad Shazi. Sound design by Molly Bach. Music by Thrum. This episode is…
• Massachusett — Company · 1 mention
• Thrum — Company · 1 mention

Products & tech

• Mayflower — Product · 10 mentions · first at 0:17
• Fortune — Product · 4 mentions · first at 25:17

Concepts & topics

• Sachem — Concept · 6 mentions
• Puritans — Concept · 2 mentions · first at 16:58
  Struggled to take root in the foreign soil. And as was typical for the Puritans, colonist William Bradford interpreted Squanto's arrival as an act of divine providence, writing…
• Puritan separatists — Concept · 2 mentions · first at 25:42
  Worse, the fortune carried no additional provisions, and only a handful of the new arrivals were Puritan separatists who shared the same religious beliefs as the colony's…
• dysentery — Concept · 1 mention · first at 3:23
  The winter of 1620 took a grizzly toll on Plymouth colony. As dysentery, scurvy, and pneumonia spread throughout the settlement. Six people died in December and another eight perished in January. And only later in that same.
• Plague — Concept · 1 mention · first at 12:11
  Possessed musketss and cannons, but insisted that they had the power to unleash plague on their enemies. He also argued that allying with the English could help Massaso…
• divine providence — Concept · 1 mention · first at 17:02
  Puritans, colonist William Bradford interpreted Squanto's arrival as an act of divine providence, writing that he was a special instrument sent from God for our good. But that…
• French pirates — Concept · 1 mention · first at 25:13
  Months earlier. And although they initially feared they were under attack by French pirates, it turned out to be an English relief ship called the Fortune. It was sent by their…
• Battle of Jericho (Walls of Jericho) — Concept · 1 mention

Places & events

• Plymouth, Massachusetts — Place · 18 mentions
• Pokanoket — Place · 5 mentions
• Plymouth Harbor — Place · 4 mentions · first at 0:19
  Imagine it's February 1621 and you're a sailor on board the Mayflower. The ship lies anchored in Plymouth Harbor where it's been transformed into a sort of floating hospital.…
• Namasket (Nemasket/Namascuit) — Place · 4 mentions
• Patuxet — Place · 4 mentions
• Cape Cod — Place · 2 mentions · first at 8:00
• Cole Hill — Place · 1 mention · first at 27:56
  Wall around the settlement. To defend both the cannons on Fort Hill and the houses on the adjacent Cole Hill, the wall would need to be more than half a mile long. But there…
• Fort Hill (Plymouth) — Place · 1 mention

Full transcript with timestamps

0:01 Wonder. Imagine it's February 1621 and you're a sailor on board the Mayflower. The ship lies anchored in Plymouth Harbor where it's been transformed into a sort of floating hospital. You've lost track of how many people have died since you arrived here 3 months ago. You skirt around a coughing woman and a child huddled together on a cot to find Captain Christopher Jones collecting dirty linens. Oh, there you are, Captain. Captain Jones gives you a brief harried look before returning to his work. Oh, not now. I'm busy. But Captain, you promised us we would sail back to London as soon as the colonists started building their settlement. I have my wife, my two little boys waiting for me back home. They'll be wondering if I'm still alive by now. Jones drops the linens on the floor and leans against a damp wooden beam, his arms folded across his chest. We can't leave these people when they barely managed to

1:03 build a roof over their heads. But we've done the job we were hired to do. Well, that may be true, but this ship is their only lifeline. What about our lives? You should never have let those people conileles on board. The crew's getting sick, too. Oh, I can't just leave them stranded like this. They'll never survive. We can't set sail anyway. Not until enough of the crew is recovered. You throw up your arms, unable to restrain your frustration. Well, with respect, sir, if we wait any longer, there won't be any crew left to sail with. We've already lost the bosen, the gunner, the cook, half a dozen other sailors. My god, how many more must die before we finally leave this godforsaken place? Captain Jones clenches his jaw, but there's no mistaking the glint of fear in his eyes. He's worried, too. If you want to go home so badly, why don't you make yourself useful?

1:50 Fetch some broth for these people. Jones then stoops to pick up the linens, and you walk past him to climb up the stairs to the galley. You're furious to find yourself trapped in this wretched land, and you're starting to wonder if you'll ever make it out of here alive

2:15 from Wondery. I'm Lindsey Graham and this is American History Tellers. Our history, your story. After arriving in New England in November 1620, the pilgrims endured a harrowing first winter in America. They had only just begun to construct their houses when illness began spreading through the makeshift settlement. Most of the sick took refuge on the Mayflower, preventing Captain Christopher Jones and his crew from making a return journey to England. But the pilgrims struggle with hunger, disease, and bitter cold was not their only concern. Although the landscape around them appeared desolate, they knew they were not alone. And soon, at a moment when the colony's future hung in the balance, an unlikely visitor would step out of the shadows. This is episode 3, the first Thanksgiving.

3:20 The winter of 1620 took a grizzly toll on Plymouth colony. As dysentery, scurvy, and pneumonia spread throughout the settlement. Six people died in December and another eight perished in January. And only later in that same month did the pilgrims manage to complete work on a common house, a 20-oot square structure made out of tree trunks and branches cemented together with mud. On Sundays, they gathered there to worship under their spiritual leader, William Brewster, and pray for their survival. But fighting the weather and illness meant all other construction ground to a halt. At times only half a dozen men and women remained on their feet, and they were burdened with the responsibility of preparing meals, tending fires, washing clothes, and emptying chamber pots for the rest of the colony. And as the death toll mounted, the crew of the Mayflower grew anxious to sail back to London. Captain

4:11 Christopher Jones had originally planned to leave Plymouth as soon as the colonist found a suitable site to settle, but the illness affecting both the settlers and his crew caused him to delay. The Mayflower remained anchored in Plymouth Harbor, serving as a makeshift hospital. Meanwhile, growing fears of an Indian attack compounded the settler's stress. Throughout the winter, the pilgrims heard cries in the woods and caught glimpses of distant campfires. They feared that Indians were watching them, waiting patiently for their numbers to dwindle so they could mount an attack and wipe them out completely. So to project strength, the colonists took pains to hide their dead.

4:47 And they went so far as to prop the gravely ill against trees, placing musketss in their hands so that they would look like sentinels guarding the settlement. Then on February 16th, 1621, one of the colonists was out hunting for ducks when he spotted 12 native men passing nearby with more following in the distance. He rushed back to Plymouth to raise the alarm. The next day, the settlers organized a military force, appointing former mercenary Miles Standish as captain. The following week, the colonists began transporting cannons from the Mayflower to one of the hills overlooking their settlement. They had brought half a dozen cannon from England that were capable of firing up to a mile away. But even as the settlers fortified Plymouth, some began to wonder if there would be anyone left to defend it. In February and March, there were days when two or three colonists died. Almost everyone lost a loved one. Entire

5:39 families were wiped out and many children were left orphaned. So that by spring, half of the original 102 settlers were dead. The onslaught of death made the safety of the tiny colony all the more paramount. And on March 16th, as the pilgrims were discussing military matters, a lone Indian emerged from the trees and walked boldly toward them. He was tall with long black hair, and he wore nothing but a leather loin cloth. To the colonists astonishment, he then greeted them in English, declaring, "Welcome, Englishman." He introduced himself as Samoset and explained that he was from an area in Maine where English fishermen frequently visited. It was through his dealings with them that he learned to speak English. Pilgrims offered Samet brandy to drink and he began pouring out information to them.

6:25 He spoke freely about the local geography, tribes, and power dynamics. He recalled previous acts of violence committed by English explorers against local Indians and informed them that their settlement was on the grounds of a village known as Puxit which had been decimated by a recent epidemic. Then he said he had been sent by the most powerful native leader in the region, a man named Masasoat. Masasoat was the great Sichchum, a term for chief or leader of the Wampenog people. He lived in a place called Poconut about 40 mi to the southwest. As the conversation wore on, night fell and Samet insisted on staying. Despite the colonists weariness, they offered him shelter and food, and he left the next morning, promising to return soon. Samet's visit was the first the colonists had ever heard of the Sa Massaso. But all winter, Masso had been closely monitoring the struggling pilgrims from afar. He saw

7:18 that their situation was as desperate as his own. And while the pilgrims were reeling from a devastating winter, Masasu had seen his people, the Wampenog, ravaged by the recent epidemic spread by European fishermen. A thriving population of 12,000 had been reduced to only a few hundred. This overwhelming loss left the Wampenog vulnerable to their chief enemies, the Naragansit and the West in modern-day Rhode Island. Because while the epidemic decimated the Wano, the Narroaganset were left relatively untouched. They numbered 20,000 people, including 5,000 warriors.

7:51 But Masaso was not without allies. He fought to counter the dominance of the Naraganset by forging alliances with other tribes, the Massachusetts of the north and the Noset to the east on Cape Cod. And as Mesasoa took stock of the pilgrims, he observed that unlike previous European visitors, they had brought women and children along with them, and they were building homes rather than attempting to make trades. It was obvious that these new arrivals planned to stay. But rather than attack, Masaso had hesitated. Only a year had passed since a group of English sailors had slaughtered some of his people, and he remained wary of Englishmen. So, as he considered his options, he consulted with an English-speaking Indian named Squanto. Squanto was a Wampenog Indian who had been kidnapped by an English explorer in 1614. He spent the next 5 years in Newfoundland, Spain, and England. In 1619, he finally returned to

8:44 New England alongside an English explorer named Thomas Durmer, only to find his village, Puxit, ravaged by a recent epidemic with only a few survivors remaining. It was the same site where the pilgrims were now building Plymouth. But soon after Thomas Durmer and Squanto arrived in New England, local tribes sought revenge for earlier English violence. Durmer's party was attacked and nearly wiped out and Squanto was captured once again. By the fall of 1620, he was living with Masaso in the Wampenog in Poconos. After his years with the English, he spoke the language well and offered Massaso his skills as an interpreter.

9:22 But even though Squanto was a member of his tribe, Masaso looked at Squanto with suspicion. He knew that if the English gained a foothold in the region, anyone who could speak their language would have a powerful advantage. They would be able to make claims about what the English were saying, and no one would know whether they were telling the truth. And after years of devastating loss, the stakes were high. Aso harbored doubts about where Squanto's loyalties truly lay. Imagine it's mid-March 1620 in the village of Poconut. You're the sichum of the Wampenog people and you've invited Squanto and your wigwam to advise you what to do about the English. He knows these men, their language, and their ways better than anyone, but you're not sure you can trust him. Fire crackles low at your feet, and you stare at him through the smoke curling its way up to the hole in the ceiling. You raise an eyebrow as you address Squanto. So why

10:16 shouldn't we strike these Englishmen now? Their weapons may be powerful, but their numbers are pitiful. They've only managed to build a few crude structures to protect them. They wouldn't stand a chance. Squanto leans forward, the fire light reflecting in his gaze. Well, it's because they are weak that you must not attack. The English are no danger to us now. They're too busy trying to survive. They have no crops to eat. They can barely dig up enough shellfish from the mud to save off hunger. Yes, but weakness does not mean they come in peace. We've seen too much of their kind to expect anything but treachery. It was only a year ago, remember, that English sailors lured our people onto their ship and killed them without reason. Why should I believe these Englishmen are any different? Well, you must consider your own position. The Narogans grow more powerful by the day, and we cannot resist them alone. But maybe if we

11:01 befriend the English and make use of their guns and cannons, then the Narroans will think twice before attacking us. Yes, I thought of this. The English weapons would give us an advantage. And that's not all. The English have the power to unleash disease upon anyone they wish. You must befriend them if you want to avoid their wrath. You know this to be true. I've lived among them. I've seen their power. Please let me go to them and invite their friendship. You know that I speak their tongue better than anyone. You study Squanto for a long moment, but his expression is unreadable. Still, his logic is beginning to make sense to you.

11:33 All right, but we will go to them together. We'll leave at first light tomorrow. Squanto bows his head in agreement. You're still not sure whose side he's on. His ability to speak their language gives him a unique advantage. But despite the risk, you know he's right. An alliance with the English may be the only way to ensure your people endure. In March 1621, Squanto exploited Masaso's paranoia to convince him to seek friendship with the English. He warned him that the pilgrims not only possessed musketss and cannons, but insisted that they had the power to unleash plague on their enemies. He also argued that allying with the English could help Massaso overpower their enemy, the Naragansa tribe. But to seek an alliance with the English, Masso needed an intermediary. He had sent the English-speaking Samoset to Plymouth as a first step. Now he would reluctantly rely on Squanto, who was a local man and

12:31 a much better English speaker with direct knowledge of English culture. after having lived in captivity in London. So on March 22nd, Samoset returned to Plymouth with Squanto by his side. Squanto spoke with ease about his life in England and quickly earned the pilgrim's trust. Then he announced that Massaso, the leader of the Wampenog tribe, was nearby, and right on Q, Masso appeared on the hill above the settlement. His face was painted in dark red, and he wore a necklace of white shell beads with a long knife suspended from a string. Beside him was an entourage of 60 armed warriors painted in vivid colors. It was an intimidating display that made for a powerful contrast to the pilgrims. By then, fewer than 20 adult men were left in Plymouth.

13:15 Squanto then relayed the message that Massaso wanted an English envoy to speak with him. A pilgrim leader named Edward Winslow agreed to go. After dawning armor and a sword, he walked up the hill with Squanto to meet Massaso. Winslow began by giving Masses a pair of knives, some copper chains, alcohol, and a few biscuits. Then he delivered a brief speech offering a message of friendship on behalf of the English King James. Massesoette responded positively, and Winslow invited the Sich to the settlement for a more formal meeting with the colony's governor, John Carver.

13:49 So Massaso went down to Plymouth with 20 men by his side. The pilgrims mustered as much pomp and circumstance as they could, beating drums and blaring trumpets. Carver then invited Masso into a half-built house where the two leaders sat down on a rug spread over the dirt floor. After sharing food and liquor, they got down to business and struck a peace agreement. They promised not to harm each other's people and come to each other's aid in the event of an attack. They also agreed that Squanto would stay with the struggling pilgrims to help them with spring planting. After 5 months of loss and uncertainty, the pilgrims had secured a peace pact with a man who appeared to rule a large swath of New England. It was a remarkable turn of events that seemed to bode well for the pilgrims future. But it would not be too long before the alliance would be put to the test.

14:49 On April 5th, 1621, the pilgrims bid farewell to Captain Christopher Jones and the crew of the Mayflower as they began their journey back across the Atlantic. The warmer spring weather had allowed the death rate in Plymouth to finally subside, and Jones felt it was at last time to return to England. But he would be sailing with a severely diminished crew. Half of the 35 sailors who had journeyed to America had died that winter. And although the pilgrims had planned to load the ship with goods to satisfy their investors, their struggles over the winter had made that impossible. The Mayflower therefore set sail for England with nothing but a pile of ballast stones taken from the shore of Plymouth Harbor. Strong westerly winds would carry the ship to London in just one short month, less than half the time it took to sail to America. But Captain Jones's health had deteriorated during his time in New England, and he

15:39 would die less than a year later, leaving the Mayflower anchored on the banks of the Tempames. In the end, the ship that carried the pilgrims on their historic voyage would be sold for scrap. But for the pilgrims, after the departure of the Mayflower, it was more important than ever to secure a reliable food supply. Fortunately, after agreeing to a peace pact with the Wampenog, they now had the help of the English-speaking Squanto, who had come to live with them. Almost immediately, he won over the pilgrims by bringing them a new food source. Waiting into a nearby tidal creek, he used his feet to squeeze eels out of the mud, gathering up so many that he could barely carry them all back to Plymouth. The colonists happily ate them, praising them as fat and sweet.

16:21 Then, as spring went on, Squanto gave the pilgrims a rapid lesson in native agriculture. Under his careful supervision, they planted the corn seed that they had stolen the previous December. The land surrounding Plymouth was poor though, so Squanto showed them how to fertilize the soil with dead herring. And once the corn sprouted, he had them add squash and beans. As the squash and bean creepers climbed up the cornstcks, they shaded the roots from the summer sun and prevented weeds from sprouting. Thanks to Squanto, the native crops thrived, while the barley and peas the colonists had brought from England struggled to take root in the foreign soil. And as was typical for the Puritans, colonist William Bradford interpreted Squanto's arrival as an act of divine providence, writing that he was a special instrument sent from God for our good. But that spring wasn't all good tidings. In April, Plymouth's

17:12 Governor John Carver was working in the fields when he started complaining of a sudden headache. He went home to lie down and then lapsed into a coma. Only a few days later, he was dead. It was yet another devastating loss at a time when the colonists were only just beginning to recover from a harrowing winter. Supplies were still low. No cargo had been sent back to England, and tensions were flaring within the settlement. The pilgrims needed a strong and unifying leader. They decided that 31-year-old William Bradford fit the bill and elected him as governor. In his new position that summer, Bradford decided it was time to establish trade relations with nearby Indian tribes. His first priority was strengthening their alliance with the Massaso and the Wampenog. So in July, he sent a delegation to visit them in the town of Poconut, 40 mi to the southwest. That same month, the pilgrims established

18:02 peaceful relations with the Indians to the east, a tribe known as the NSET. By then, the pilgrims had learned that the NSET were the owners of the corn that they had stolen upon their arrival in Cape Cod the previous winter. In late July 1621, the NSET captured a 16-year-old pilgrim who had gotten lost in the woods. Governor Bradford dispatched a rescue party led by Squanto, who secured the boy's release in exchange for a knife. The pilgrims then also promised to reimburse the NSET for the stolen corn, and the two groups declared peace. So by that August, the pilgrims believed that their colony was finally beginning to find its footing until they received troubling news. One of Massaso's men brought word that an ambitious Wampenog leader named Corbaton had kidnapped and possibly killed Squanto. Although Corbatant served under Massaso, he opposed Massaso's treaty with the pilgrims. He hoped that by abducting the

18:55 pilgrims trusted interpreter and guide, he could end Massaso's alliance with the English. As Corbettant explained, if Squanto were killed, the English would lose their tongue. And once they did, he would seize power for himself. Imagine it's August 1621 in Plymouth. You're the military leader of the colony and you and five other men are crammed into Governor William Bradford's house. You've learned that your trusted interpreter, Squanto, has been kidnapped by the Satum Corbettant is being held 15 mi away in the Indian village of Namascuit. Bradford has called a meeting of his closest adviserss to decide on a plan and you're one of them. You lean forward, pressing your palms flat against the Ruff Hume table. I believe we must take immediate and forceful action. If we don't act fast, Guanto could be killed. The separatist elder, William Brewster, rubs his temple and shakes his head. We must not be so

19:48 hasty. We It would be unwise to provoke a wider conflict. You mean to bring the whole region against us? Well, better war than weakness. Surely you may lead the church, but you have little understanding of military strategy. Corbett needs to know that he cannot challenge us without consequences. And our ally, Masaso, needs to know that we won't stand by while one of his men betrays him. So, what do you propose we do? We gather 10 men and lead them to Namascuit. Esquanto is still alive. We'll bring him home. But if he's dead, then I will seize Corpant himself, give him a punishment fit for a traitor. I'll cut off his head and bring it back to Plymouth, plant it on our gates, so that no one will doubt our resolve. Rooster visibly recoils, his mouth falling open.

20:30 You suggest we mimic the savagery of our enemies? I suggest we follow the words of scripture. Elder Brewster, remember Joshua, who brought down the walls of Jericho and destroyed every living thing inside them. But we're only just getting on our feet. There are so few of us and so many of them. You pound your fists on the table. Your anger getting the better of you. Which is why we must go to Namascuit. These people think we are feeble. It's time we assert our power. Governor Bradford leans back in his chair and rubs his chin. Then he announces that you are to go to the mascot and rescues Squanto, adding that if he's already dead, and you will know what to do.

21:09 Rooster bows his head, his lips moving in silent prayer, but you rise to your feet and nod at Bradford, your heart pounding. This is the moment you've been preparing for, a chance to finally show the Indians your strength. After learning that Squanto had been kidnapped, Plymouth's Governor William Bradford consulted his closest adviserss, including the colony's military leader, Miles Stish. Terrified by the idea of losing his trusted interpreter and guide, Bradford agreed with Stish's recommendation that the pilgrims act quickly and decisively. He also hoped to prove the pilgrims loyalty to Massaso. He later explained the wider strategic importance of the decision, declaring that if they allowed their allies to be mistreated without consequence, the pilgrims would be isolated, cut off from all information, and left vulnerable to future attacks.

21:58 The next morning, August 14th, 1621, Stannis led 10 men on a 15-mi march to the village of Damasc. Arriving at midnight, Stanish burst into a wigwam and demanded to know where Corbotant was. While the terrified people inside the wigwam screamed and wept, the pilgrims outside fired their musketss, wounding two villagers. Then they discovered Squanto was alive and well, but Corbettant was nowhere to be found. The next morning, Stish gave a stern warning to the villagers, treated the wounded, and then he and his men returned with Squanto to Plymouth. This bold display of military resolve earned the pilgrims newfound respect among surrounding tribes. On September 13th, nine sichums, including Corbett, traveled to Plymouth to sign a treaty professing their loyalty to King James.

22:46 So, as tensions subsided, the colonists turned their attention back to the more urgent work of building their town. By October, they had finished 11 crude structures, seven homes, and four common buildings. And because of Squanto's help, they managed to reap a successful harvest. It was also a time when large numbers of migrating birds frequented the area. Governor Bradford ordered four men to go hunting and in just a few hours they had killed enough ducks and geese to feed the settlement for weeks. Bradford declared that they had now gathered the fruit of our labors and it was time to rejoice together. But around that same time and 90 Wenog men arrived in Plymouth uninvited, but they brought with them several deer to add to the spread. And over the next 3 days, the two groups enjoyed a harvest celebration marked by feasting and games. Subsequent generations of New Englanders would recast this event as the first

23:39 Thanksgiving, a watershed moment of English Indian unity. But the pilgrims themselves never used the term Thanksgiving. And unlike later depictions, it was an entirely informal event. There was no long table or silverware. Instead, the pilgrims and Indians most likely stood, squatted, or sat on the ground. The pilgrims also made almost no mention of the festivities in their writings beyond a single two-sence description. Still, for years to come, the story of the feast would capture the American imagination. This harvest celebration marked the end of an extraordinary year. Just 11 months earlier, the pilgrims had arrived in New England wholly unprepared for the brutal winter ahead. Half of them had died, but against all odds, the settlement survived in large part due to their willingness to adapt to their new environment and its existing power dynamics. They had established trade relations, demonstrated their strength,

24:32 and cemented a diplomatic alliance to help ensure their safety, but challenges still remained. The pilgrims had entered a harsh and uncertain world where multiple groups were vying for power. And soon, one of their most trusted allies would make a move to undo everything they had built.

24:59 On November 9th, 1621, a lookout spotted a small ship in Plymouth Harbor. It was the first vessel the colonists had seen since the Mayflower left their shores 6 months earlier. And although they initially feared they were under attack by French pirates, it turned out to be an English relief ship called the Fortune. It was sent by their London broker Thomas Weston, the man chiefly responsible for recruiting investors for Plymouth. And with the arrival of the Fortune, the size of the colony doubled in an instant. But much to Governor William Bradford's frustration, the small vessel brought 37 colonists that he would now have to house and feed just as winter was about to set in. Even worse, the fortune carried no additional provisions, and only a handful of the new arrivals were Puritan separatists who shared the same religious beliefs as the colony's leaders. The rest were strangers. But the good news was that

25:51 most of the newcomers were young men who could help with Plymouth's labor needs. There were now 66 men and 16 women in the colony, and this 6:1 ratio of eligible men to eligible women placed intense pressure on orphan teenage girls to marry. Colonists who had been widowed also quickly remarried. But the new ship not only brought new settlers, it also delivered a furious letter from Thomas Weston rebuking the pilgrims for failing to load the Mayflower with cargo before it left London. He wrote, "I know your weakness was the cause of it, and I believe more weakness of judgment than weakness of hands." Despite his criticism, Weston nevertheless pledged his loyalty, promising the pilgrims that they could count on him. But Bradford was outraged by the accusations. He pointed out that while the investors risked their money, the pilgrims had risked their lives. Nevertheless, they still had a debt to pay. So when the

26:44 fortune prepared to head back to London in December, the pilgrims loaded it with beaver skins, sassifras, and split oak. The value of the cargo totaled nearly £500, almost half of what the colonists owed Weston and other investors. So with this, the pilgrims had taken a major step in easing their debt. But they soon faced another crisis. The potential for an attack by the powerful Naragansa tribe, the chief enemies of the pilgrims Wampenog allies. The alliance between the English and the Wampenog posed a threat to the Naragansa. And later that year, the leader of the Naraganset set a symbolic challenge to Plymouth, a bundle of arrows wrapped in the skin of a rattlesnake. Bradford responded by stuffing the snake skin with gunpowder and bullets and sending it back to the Naragans at Sichchum. It seemed to have the desired effect. One colonist reported, "It was no small terror to the savage king in so much as he would not

27:35 once touch the powder and shot or suffer it to stay in his house or country." But as December wore on, the pilgrims continued to worry about potential threats. To safeguard Plymouth, Bradford, and the colony's military leader, Captain Miles Stannis, ordered the construction of an 8-ft high timber wall around the settlement. To defend both the cannons on Fort Hill and the houses on the adjacent Cole Hill, the wall would need to be more than half a mile long. But there were only a few dozen able-bodied men to perform the backbreaking work of building the wall.

28:06 And the task was made harder by the pilgrims poor tools, lack of oxen, and low rations. It was a project that demanded unity and discipline. But tensions were flaring between the original settlers and the new arrivals from the fortune. Imagine it's Christmas Day 1621 in Plymouth. You've recently arrived here from England, and you and some of your fellow colonists are enjoying a day of leisure after spending the past few weeks building a wall around the settlement. You're playing stool ball, a Christmas tradition that you cherish back in England. And you've begun to feel more at home here than you have in weeks. As you step up to the bat and squint against the sun, waiting for the pitch, you swing and hit the ball with a satisfying crack. But then you freeze in your tracks as you see Governor William Bradford striding toward you with a furious look on his face. What do you think you're doing? You know, when you

28:58 and the other strangers insisted that it was against your conscience to work on Christmas, I begrudgingly gave you the day off to rest. And I am more than willing to let you spend Christmas praying quietly at home. But I won't allow reing in the streets. You lift your bat across your shoulder and draw a shaky breath. Oh, but sir, I I I've played stool ball on Christmas for as long as I can remember. It it it's a tradition. Well, that may be true, but it's no way for members of a godly Puritan community to conduct themselves.

29:25 Bradford's hand shoots forward, and before you can react, he wrenches the bat from your grasp. All right, now gather up the balls. This game ends now. The boys around you silently obey, but you can feel heat rising in your chest. Oh, God. Governor, please. This one game couldn't hurt, could it? It's what we always do back home in England. Well, son, you are no longer in England. You're in Plymouth, which operates by its own god- ordained rules, and everyone, including you, is expected to conform. God, has it ever occurred to you that this intolerance is exactly what drove you from England in the first place? Bradford's eyes blaze. This is not about tolerance or freedom. It's about right or wrong.

30:08 Bradford turns and walks away. Your bat tucked firmly under his arm. Only a few minutes ago, the street was alive with laughter and play, but now feels as though Bradford has drained all the joy from Christmas. William Bradford and his fellow Puritan separatists sought to strip Christianity of all rituals and traditions not found in the Bible. They saw no justification for Christmas festivities in the Bible, so they refused to celebrate the holiday. But while they treated December 25th like any other day, the new so-called strangers in the colony who did not share their religious beliefs refused to work and instead of resting quietly play games in the street.

30:49 Radford confiscated their games, viewing them as an affront to the Puritans desire to create a godly community. But although this conflict over Christmas revealed deep and lingering tensions within the settlement, the more immediate problem of defense demanded the colonists attention. In March 1622, construction on the new wall around Plymouth was finally complete, and Miles Stish organized the men into defensive units and began drilling them regularly. The pilgrims had made it clear to anyone watching that they had no plans to leave. But soon, a new threat appeared, and this time from within. In April 1622, Stish planned a trading expedition near modern-day Boston. He and his men had begun sailing north when a relative of Squanto came running down the beach.

31:33 He claimed that Masaso and the Wampenog had joined forces with their enemies the Neraganset and were preparing an imminent attack on Plymouth. The story was suspect though given the Wampenog's longtime alliance with the pilgrims and rivalry with the Naragansa. But Bradford ordered the cannons fired as a warning signal to the pilgrims and Stish who was still an earshot turned his boat around returning to Plymouth to prepare for battle. But before making any rash decisions, Bradford consulted with Hobamach, a trusted aid of Massaso, who'd been sent to live with the pilgrims to keep an eye on Squanto. Hoba was also highly suspicious of the claims, and he sent his wife to Massaso's village to investigate. When Masaso heard the story, he was outraged and denied any hostile intent toward the pilgrims. But the story seemed to confirm his distrust of Squanto. The full truth emerged over the next few

32:25 weeks. The pilgrims learned that Squanto quietly coveted his own chieftdom and had been spreading rumors that the pilgrims had the power to unleash plagues on their enemies. So he promised to protect native villages in exchange for tributes. Growing numbers of local Indians had begun to look to Squanto for protection instead of Massaso. And Squanto had fabricated the story of Massaso planning an attack on Plymouth to try to drive a wedge between the two allies. So in May 1622, a furious Massaso sent messengers to Plymouth demanding Squanto's death. Governor Bradford stalled, torn between his alliance with Massaso and his close friendship with Squanto. The pilgrims had come to depend on Squanto, and Bradford could not bear the thought of losing his interpreter, who had become a lifeline for the colony. But just as Masso's warriors arrived to execute the death sentence, white sails appeared on

33:15 the horizon. Governor Bradford told the warriors he feared it could be the French and declared that he refused to surrender Squanto until after he found out whether enemies were approaching. The warriors left in frustration and Squanto was spared. But Bradford would soon discover that the biggest threat to the colony was not his compromised friend, but the ship entering the harbor. And soon Plymouth would face its gravest challenge yet. from Wondery. This is episode 3 of our four-part series, The Mayflower, from American History Tellers. In the next episode, a new rival colony puts unprecedented strain on the pilgrims resources. Rumors spread of a planned attack on Plymouth, prompting the pilgrims to make a controversial move, one that would transform the balance of power in New England.

34:04 American History Tellers is hosted, edited, and produced by me, Lindsey Graham for Airship. Audio editing by Mohammad Shazi. Sound design by Molly Bach. Music by Thrum. This episode is written by Ellie Stanton. Edited by Dorian Marina. Senior producer Andy Becker. Executive producers are Jenny Lowour Beckman and Marshall Louie for Wondery.

Questions about this episode

What is "The Mayflower | The First Thanksgiving | American History Tellers" about?

In February 1621, the crew of the Mayflower faces a dire situation as they remain anchored in Plymouth Harbor, grappling with illness and the deaths of their fellow sailors while feeling the burden of responsibility for the struggling colonists. Tensions rise between the desperate crew members and Captain Christopher Jones, who must decide whether to abandon the settlers to return home or stay…

What is mentioned in this American History Tellers episode?

47 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Squanto (Tisquantum), Massasoit, Plymouth, Massachusetts, Wampanoag, Myles Standish, Mayflower. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "The Mayflower | The First Thanksgiving | American History Tellers"?

The episode runs 35 min; the transcript is about 6,093 words in 45 timestamped sections.

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