Words to Watch:

-ion words: Mary Chilton celebration, national, persecution, religion, 1607 – 1679 tribulation

married: John Winslow children: John, Susanna, Mary, Edward, Sarah, Samuel, Joseph, Isaac, Benjamin

written and illustrated by A. Minnery

Early Life: Her Story:

When Mary Chilton was born in England, people The Pilgrims were one of the first groups from were not free to practice religion the way that they England to settle in what is now the United States of wanted. Mary and her parents left England when America. The Pilgrims were escaping religious she was 2, and went to Holland to join a group of persecution in Europe. people centered on a church that practiced religion the way that Mary’s family wanted to practice In 1620, they set sail on the Mayflower. They religion. Today, we call this group the Pilgrims. landed on the Atlantic coast, in what is now called Plymouth, Massachusetts. According to legend, Mary Chilton, only 13 at the time, was the first Pilgrim to step onto American land when she leapt from the boat.

The Pilgrims endured many trials and tribulations during their first winter in North America. The winter was harsh and many Pilgrims died, including Mary’s parents.

The next year, with the help of a local Native American man named Squanto, the Pilgrims learned to plant, gather, and hunt for food in their new environment. In 1621, Mary participated in a now- famous celebration meal with Native American people, the Wampanoag, after a successful harvest. We celebrate this event each year with a national holiday: Thanksgiving.

Mary Chilton lived the rest of her life in what became the English colony of Massachusetts. Her descendants now live all over the United States and the world. Perhaps you are descended from Mary Chilton!