The Mayflower | The First Thanksgiving | 3

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0:56Richard R. Johnson: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 three 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. Well, 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.

1:31Richard R. Johnson:I have my wife and 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've barely managed to build a roof over their heads. 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 convalesce 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 has recovered.

2:06Richard R. Johnson: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 bosun, 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? 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.

2:41Richard R. Johnson: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.

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4:10Richard R. Johnson: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 Pilgrim's 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.

4:47Richard R. Johnson:This is Episode 3, The First Thanksgiving.

4:53Richard R. Johnson:The winter of 1620 took a grisly 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-foot 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.

5:38Richard R. Johnson:And as the death toll mounted, the crew of the Mayflower grew anxious to sail back to London. Captain Christopher Jones had originally planned to leave Plymouth as soon as the colonists 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 settlers' 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.

6:16Richard R. Johnson:So to project strength, the colonists took pains to hide their dead, and they went so far as to prop the gravely ill against trees, placing muskets in their hands so that they would look like sentinels guarding the settlement. Then, on February 16, 1621, one of the colonists was out hunting for ducks when he spotted twelve 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.

6:54Richard R. Johnson: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 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 16, as the pilgrims were discussing military matters, a lone Indian emerged from the trees and walked boldly toward them.

7:32Richard R. Johnson:He was tall, with long black hair, and he wore nothing but a leather loincloth. To the Collins' astonishment, he then greeted them in English, declaring, Welcome, Englishmen! 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 Samoset brandy to drink, and he began pouring out information to them. 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 Patuxet, which had been decimated by a recent epidemic.

8:13Richard R. Johnson:Then he said he had been sent by the most powerful native leader in the region, a man named Massasoit. Massasoit was the Great Sachem, a term for chief or leader of the Wampanoag people. He lived in a place called Poconocot, about 40 miles to the southwest. As the conversation wore on, night fell, and Samoset insisted on staying. Despite the colonists' weariness, they offered him shelter and food, and he left the next morning, promising to return soon. Samoset's visit was the first the colonists had ever heard of the Sajem Massasoit, but all winter, Massasoit had been closely monitoring the struggling pilgrims from afar.

8:50Richard R. Johnson:He saw that their situation was as desperate as his own, and while the pilgrims were reeling from a devastating winter, Massasoit had seen his people, the Wampanoag, 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 Wampanoag vulnerable to their chief enemies the Narragansett and the West in modern-day Rhode Island, because while the epidemic decimated the Wampanoag, the Narragansett were left relatively untouched. They numbered 20 ,000 people, including 5 ,000 warriors. But Massasoit was not without allies.

9:26Richard R. Johnson:He fought to counter the dominance of the Narragansett by forging alliances with other tribes, the Massachusett of the north and the Nosset to the east on Cape Cod. And as Massasoit 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, Massasoit hesitated. Only a year had passed since a group of English sailors had slaughtered some of his people, and he remained wary of Englishmen.

9:59Richard R. Johnson:So as he considered his options, he consulted with an English-speaking Indian named Squanto. Squanto was a Wampanoag Indian who had been kidnapped by an English explorer in 1614. He spent the next five years in Newfoundland, Spain, and England. In 1619, he finally returned to New England alongside an English explorer named Thomas Dermer, only to find his village Pawtuxet 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 Dermer and Squanto arrived in New England, local tribes sought revenge for earlier English violence.

10:37Richard R. Johnson:Dermer's party was attacked and nearly wiped out, and Squanto was captured once again. By the fall of 1620, he was living with Massasoit and the Wampanoag in Poconocet. After his years with the English, he spoke the language well and offered Massasoit his skills as an interpreter. But even though Squanto was a member of his tribe, Massasoit 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.

11:11Richard R. Johnson:And after years of devastating loss, the stakes were high. Massasoit harbored doubts about where Squanto's loyalties truly lay.

11:22Richard R. Johnson:Imagine it's mid-March 1620 in the village of Poconocut. You're the sachem of the Wampanoag people, and you've invited Squanto into 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. The 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 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.

11:57Richard R. Johnson:They wouldn't stand a chance. Squanto leans forward, the firelight 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 stave 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?

12:27Richard R. Johnson:Well, you must consider your own position. The Narragansett grow more powerful by the day, and we cannot resist them alone. But maybe if we befriend the English and make use of their guns and cannons, Then the Narragansett will think twice before attacking us. Yes, I've 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.

12:57Richard R. Johnson: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. 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.

13:31Richard R. Johnson:In March 1621, Squanto exploited Massasoit's paranoia to convince him to seek friendship with the English. He warned him that the pilgrims not only possessed muskets 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 Massasoit overpower their enemy, the Narragansett tribe. But to seek an alliance with the English, Massasoit 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 a much better English speaker with direct knowledge of English culture after having lived in captivity in London.

14:10Richard R. Johnson:So on March 22, 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 Massasoit, the leader of the Wampanoag tribe, was nearby, and right on cue, Massasoit 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 sixty armed warriors painted in vivid colors. It was an intimidating display that made for a powerful contrast to the pilgrims. By then, fewer than twenty adult men were left in Plymouth.

14:48Richard R. Johnson:Squanto then relayed the message that Massasoit wanted an English envoy to speak with him. A pilgrim leader named Edward Winslow agreed to go. After donning armor and a sword, he walked up the hill with Squanto to meet Massasoit. Winslow began by giving Massasoit 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. Massasoit responded positively, and Winslow invited the sachem to the settlement for a more formal meeting with the colony's governor, John Carver. So Massasoit went down to Plymouth with 20 men by his side.

15:26Richard R. Johnson:The pilgrims mustered as much pomp and circumstance as they could, beating drums and blaring trumpets. Carver then invited Massasoit 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 five months of loss and uncertainty, the pilgrims had secured a peace pact with the man who appeared to rule a large swath of New England.

16:02Richard R. Johnson: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.

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18:10Richard R. Johnson:On April 5, 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.

18:49Richard R. Johnson: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 would die less than a year later, leaving the Mayflower anchored on the banks of the Thames. 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 Wampanoag, they now had the help of the English-speaking Squanto, who had come to live with them.

19:25Richard R. Johnson:Almost immediately, he won over the pilgrims by bringing them a new food source. Wading 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. 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.

19:58Richard R. Johnson:And once the corn sprouted, he had them add squash and beans. As the squash and bean creepers climbed up the corn stalks, 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 governor John Carver was working in the fields when he started complaining of a sudden headache.

20:38Richard R. Johnson: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 Massasoit and the Wampanoag, so in July he sent a delegation to visit them in the town of Poconocot, 40 miles to the southwest.