Worksheet titled "The History of Thanksgiving" featuring text about the Pilgrims' arrival, the first Thanksgiving, and ancient origins of the holiday, along with reading comprehension questions.

1. In September 1620.
2. The Mayflower was a small ship that carried 102 passengers from England to Plymouth, Massachusetts.
3. The passengers were religious separatists seeking religious freedom and others seeking prosperity and land ownership in the New World.
4. They wanted to move to America to fulfill the promise of prosperity and land ownership and to escape religious persecution.
5. Their first stop was Cape Cod.
6. Half of the newly arrived settlers suffered from exposure, scurvy, and contagious diseases; only half survived the first difficult winter.
7. Squanto was an American Indian who spoke English and helped the Pilgrims survive by teaching them how to cultivate crops and extract sap from maple trees.
8. It was celebrated in November 1621.
9. Native Americans and European settlers were invited to the feast to celebrate the successful corn harvest and the alliance between them.
10. Roast venison, wild turkey, and other local foods were served.
11. The concept of Thanksgiving came from the Native American tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks to God for prosperity.
12. Ancient cultures such as the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans had their own festivals of feasting and celebrating the harvest and abundance of food.

True/False:
1. True
2. False
3. False
4. True
5. False
6. True
7. False
8. False
9. False
10. True
11. True