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On the 11th day of the 11th month of 1620, forty-one of the male passengers on the Mayflower drafted, agreed, and signed the Mayflower Compact before they left the ship. Why did they need it and what was the Mayflower Compact? When the Mayflower landed in the new world, there was "discontented and mutinous" talk among the non-Pilgrims. Originally, they set sail for the Virginia Colony. Since the Mayflower landed 200+ miles north of that colony, there were no governing laws in this portion of the new world. To ensure civility they created, drafted, and signed the Mayflower Compact. This initial compact was an early and successful attempt at self-governance. (In fact it was so successful, it inspired our Founding Fathers as they drafted the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.) In the Compact, all agreed to self-govern under one civil body and create, enact, and abide by "just and equal laws" for the greater good; all would submit and obey the laws; and the purpose of the passengers in this new colony was to advance and live out the Christian faith. We've come to our eleventh and last day of the last stanza of the Thanksgiving song! Here is the song in full, "On the eleventh day of Thanksgiving, we recount gratefully eleven 'hallelujahs', ten crops a growing, nine praying Pilgrims, eight strong and able, seven treaty terms, six game and fish, five trip attempts, four peace pipes, three days feasting, two Indians, and a Mayflower on the sea." Make this your go-to Thanksgiving song. Sing it and share it with your family and friends so they can know the history of Thanksgiving too. #thanksgivingsong #thanksgiving #Mayflowercompact #civilbody #newcolony #pilgrims #indians #singaroundthetable #11days #grateful #angels #angelbooksforkids #whereisyourangel #angelwatchingoverme #kidsbooks 
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Have you been enjoying our adventure with the Pilgrims and learning a new song for Thanksgiving? Today our new verse is about one of the reasons the Pilgrims were so thankful - a bountiful harvest. On day two we learned about Squanto who was very helpful to the Pilgrims, including teaching them how to plant crops. They were very good students. So good in fact that their crops yielded more than the Indians' crops! The Indians would even come to the Pilgrims and trade furs for food. The students became the master. They grew beans, corn, squash, onions, peas, pumpkin, barley, oats, turnips, carrots and more. Do you know what's really impressive about their farming skills? For many of them this was their first time farming. Some had experience, but most had not ever farmed or gardened. This was one reason they had to rejoice and give thanks to God for His blessings in the new world. Our song of thanks is shaping up. Sing it loud as we add the tenth stanza, "On the tenth day of Thanksgiving, we recount gratefully ten crops a growing, nine praying Pilgrims, eight strong and able, seven treaty terms, six game and fish, five trip attempts, four peace pipes, three days feasting, two Indians, and a Mayflower on the sea." #thanksgivingsong #thanksgiving #crops #bountifulharvest #firsttimefarmer #pilgrims #indians #singaroundthetable #11days #grateful #angels #angelbooksforkids #whereisyourangel #angelwatchingoverme #kidsbooks  We know the Pilgrims came to the new world to worship God without persecution from the corrupt Church of England. They were also people of prayer. The non-Puritan passengers didn't appreciate that the Pilgrims "kept the Sabbath." The Pilgrims refused to work on Sundays. Instead what they did was to gather together and sing songs to the Lord, read their Bibles, and devote themselves to prayer. They remembered God's Sovereign hand upon them and all the prayers He had answered in big ways and small ways. One prayer God answered in a miraculous way was in the middle of the Atlantic during a horrific storm. The main beam that supported the Mayflower had split and the vessel was about to be sunk. The Pilgrims cried out, "Yet Lord, Thou canst save!" While praying, one of the Pilgrims remembered a giant screw jack he had brought onboard. It was the perfect fit that saved the Mayflower and her passengers! Think about this. Do you utilize a packing list prior to taking a trip? Is "giant random screw jack" on that list? It's not on my packing list either. Only God, peeps. Only God could providentially make sure that giant screw jack made it onboard. The Pilgrims were people of prayer because the Lord they prayed to had ears to hear and a heart of lovingkindness. Our ninth stanza is about prayer. "On the ninth day of Thanksgiving, we recount gratefully nine praying Pilgrims, eight strong and able, seven treaty terms, six game and fish, five trip attempts, four peace pipes, three days feasting, two Indians, and a Mayflower on the sea." #thanksgivingsong #thanksgiving #prayer #praying #miracle #sabbath #pilgrims #indians #singaroundthetable #11days #grateful #angels #angelbooksforkids #whereisyourangel #angelwatchingoverme #kidsbooks  Have you ever been so sick that you needed someone else to take care of you because you couldn't do anything? Well, there were a lot of not well people the first 3 months after the Pilgrims landed in the new world. So many people got sick that first winter, only 8 men were strong enough and able enough to build a common house for the 102 Pilgrims and passengers. In fact, by the end of winter, 45 of those who started the trip in England on the Mayflower died. In honor of those brave and strong men who worked tirelessly when others couldn't, we add the next stanza to the Thanksgiving song. "On the eighth day of Thanksgiving, we recount gratefully eight strong and able, seven treaty terms, six game and fish, five trip attempts, four peace pipes, three days feasting, two Indians, and a Mayflower on the sea." #thanksgivingsong #thanksgiving #strong #able #pilgrims #indians #singaroundthetable #11days #grateful #angels #angelbooksforkids #whereisyourangel #angelwatchingoverme #kidsbooks  Welcome to day 7! This day gives us a glimpse as to what was important to the Pilgrims and Indians. Before they smoked those peace pipes on day 4, they agreed to terms of a treaty. Can you guess how many items were on the treaty? If you guessed seven, you are correct. Curious as to what it said? First, they wanted to insure that neither people would injure or hurt the other. Second, if they broke the first one then the offender would be punished. Third, if either of their tools were taken away when they were working, they would be restored. Fourth, if someone else waged war unjustly against either of them then they would aid each other. Fifth, everyone would be told and know of the conditions of peace. Sixth, when coming to or approaching each other they would put their respective weapons down. Lastly, in signing the peace treaty King James considered them as his friend and ally. They abided by these conditions and lived in peace for as long as the signers were alive. As we add the seventh verse to the Thanksgiving song it goes like this, "On the seventh day of Thanksgiving, we recount gratefully seven treaty terms, six game and fish, five trip attempts, four peace pipes, three days feasting, two Indians, and a Mayflower on the sea." #thanksgivingsong #treaty #peace #pilgrims #indians #singaroundthetable #11days #grateful #angels #angelbooksforkids #whereisyourangel #angelwatchingoverme  Game on! At the first Thanksgiving feast in America there were lots of game on the table. Indians and Pilgrims hunted for their food back then because Publix or Kroger didn't exist. There were at least 6 types of game and seafood they feasted on for 3 days. Wild turkeys were one, and is a staple at our Thanksgiving meals now (although ours are tamer today). Deer, wildfowl, lobster, bass, and clams were other game and seafood that were shared. Some of the side dishes were corn, squashes, beans, and pumpkins. Are you getting hungry? What's on your Thanksgiving menu? As we add our sixth verse, our song goes like this, "On the sixth day of Thanksgiving, we recount gratefully six game and fish, five trip attempts, four peace pipes, three days feasting, two Indians, and a Mayflower on the sea." #thanksgivingsong #gameon #fish #pilgrims #seafood #indians #singaroundthetable #11days #grateful #angels #angelbooksforkids #whereisyourangel #angelwatchingoverme  Did you know that the Pilgrims made at least 5 attempts to leave England because of the religious persecution they were facing? As long as they had breath, they weren't giving up. Their first attempt was when they hired a ship captain to take them to Holland. They left in the middle of the night so as not to be captured. After travelling a long way, they finally saw a light in the water that was the ship they hired to take them to freedom. Turned out this ship captain double crossed them and told the authorities. The ship captain was paid by England for turning them in. He also got to keep the monies the Pilgrims, also known as Puritans, paid him. They were then thrown into prison. The second attempt to leave also happened at night with a different hired ship captain. They separated to avoid suspicion with the men getting in the ship first. As they were approaching the women and children so they could board, soldiers were spotted on the horizon. This captain didn't want to get caught so he took off with the men, leaving the women and children behind. As the ship went out of the harbor towards the North Sea, a huge storm came and took them away. After 14 days, the ship and men arrived in Holland but the women and children were put in prison again in England. The third attempt was a year later when the men were able to go back to England, be rejoined with their families, and bring them to Holland. After a few years in Holland, the Pilgrims went back to England. It was there they decided to take two ships to the new world, known as America. Their fourth attempt was with the Mayflower and the Speedwell. They left England in the summer but the Speedwell starting taking on water and both ships had to turn around and go back to the harbor. After deciding who would go and who would stay behind in England, the Mayflower left the harbor with the Pilgrims and other passengers. This was the Puritans fifth and final attempt to reach a land where they would not be persecuted for their faith. And you thought your family trips were stressful! The fifth stanza is a nod to the steadfastness and unwavering faith of the Pilgrims. Fifth verse including the first, "On the fifth day of Thanksgiving, we recount gratefully five trip attempts, four peace pipes, three days feasting, two Indians, and a Mayflower on the sea." #thanksgivingsong #fallholiday #trials #faith #pilgrims #steadfastness #notgivingup #singaroundthetable #11days #grateful #angels #angelbooksforkids #whereisyourangel #angelwatchingoverme  We are on day 4 of our new Thanksgiving song that is sure to be a repeat at Thanksgiving feasts coast to coast. The fourth stanza is about making treaties and being friends. We need friends to help us in hard times and to celebrate with us in good times. The Pilgrims and the Indians became allies. They solidified that relationship with a treaty and an Indian tradition. Chief Massasoit, Governor John Carver, Edward Winslow, William Bradford and others solidified the pact by smoking a peace pipe. For our song, we will take some literary license and say it was 4 peace pipes. The historic picture shows only one peace pipe but it was probably passed around to at least these four men. Fourth verse including the first, "On the fourth day of Thanksgiving, we recount gratefully four peace pipes, three days feasting, two Indians, and a Mayflower on the sea." Catchy so far, huh? #thanksgivingsong #fallholiday #peacepipes #indians #pilgrims #allies #passthepeacepipe #singaroundthetable #11days #grateful #angels #angelbooksforkids #whereisyourangel #angelwatchingoverme  How many days are you going to be celebrating Thanksgiving? One? Two? Three? Typically our country's Thanksgiving meal happens on one day. The leftovers may last longer but the actual day of giving thanks is only one. For the Pilgrims and Indians, the feasting lasted 3 days! One was not enough. My friend says fish and company smell after about 3 days. Maybe that's why they stopped feasting at day three. Hence, the third stanza in our Thanksgiving song celebrates 3 days of feasting. Here's the song with all three stanzas, thus far: "On the third day of Thanksgiving, we recount gratefully three days feasting, two Indians, and a Mayflower on the sea." Hang on tight, we've got 8 more days to finish learning our new Thanksgiving song. #thanksgivingsong #fallholiday #day3 #indians #pilgrims #feasting #singaroundthetable #11days #grateful #angels #angelbooksforkids #whereisyourangel #angelwatchingoverme  Do you feel like the Christmas music starts too early and it washes out Thanksgiving? We do to and we have a new song to change that tide. It's a song for the Thanksgiving season and we think it will bring comfort and joy. It is to the tune of The 12 Days of Christmas. The first stanza was introduced yesterday and we will add it to our stanza today. The second stanza goes like this, "On the second day of Thanksgiving, we recount gratefully two Indians, and a Mayflower on the sea." When the Mayflower and its passengers settled in the new world (near what we know as Massachusetts today) they encountered not one but two English speaking Indians. The first English speaking Indian was named Squanto. Years earlier, he was captured, enslaved, and sent to Spain. However he ended up in England and learned English. He made it back to his native land six months before the Pilgrims and the other passengers arrived. Squanto would help the Pilgrims learn to plant crops, fish, and was instrumental in their survival in the new world. Samoset was the other English-speaking Indian who also helped. Four hundred years later we are grateful for their hospitality. #thanksgivingsong #fallholiday #indians #pilgrims #newworld #grateful #angels #angelbooksforkids #whereisyourangel #angelwatchingoverme  |
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