Yale University
Avalon Project: Mayflower Compact 1620
Read the actual words of these earliest Americans and their attempt at self-government with the writing of the Mayflower Compact. Link directly to other colonial charter pages.
University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma Law Center: Mayflower Compact
Provides the full text of the Mayflower Compact, the first written framework of government in what is now the United States.
Ancestry
The Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony: 1620
Study guide with loads of information about the pilgrims. Details everything from the religious beliefs of the pilgrims to what the Mayflower looked like, to the dogs on the ship, furniture, clothing, descriptions of medical practices on...
Other
Who Were the Pilgrims?
A good general overview of who pilgrims were and how they came to America. Includes the journey over on the Mayflower and the Native Americans who helped them.
Read Works
Read Works: The Story of the Pilgrims
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the colonists' journey on the Mayflower and their first year in Plymouth. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Other
Plimoth Plantation: Mayflower Ii
This resource gives a detailed history of both the first Mayflower and the current Mayflower II that sits in the harbor of Plimoth Plantation.
Read Works
Read Works: American Government the Mayflower Compact
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the Mayflower Compact, why it was written, and how it paved the way for democracy. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Read Works
Read Works: The Pilgrims' Path
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the Pilgrims sailing from England to Massachusetts. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New England Colonies: The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony
Read a brief description of the Pilgrims' journey to North America. Find out how many travelers on the Mayflower were actually Pilgrims, and find out why a mistake in navigation led to the first written constitution in the New World.
Other
Pilgrim Hall Museum: History Paintings
This website from the Pilgrim Hall Museum contains a collection of various history paintings depicting the pilgrims. Each image is annotated with a brief summary of what event the painting is depicting and general information about the...
This Nation
This nation.com: Mayflower Compact
This site provides the full text of the agreement between the settlers at New Plymouth, 1620.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Pilgrim Elder William Brewster
A brief biography of William Brewster, one of the original Pilgrims to come over on the Mayflower.
Mayflower History
Mayflower History: The Wampanoag
Explore the history and culture of the Wampanoag Indians and their relations with the Pilgrims with this resource.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: The Pilgrims
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart contains lessons about the Pilgrims geared toward 8th grade students in Tennessee studying American History. It contains a lot of pictures, a link to a website outlining the layout of...
Huntington Library
Huntington Library: Settlement of the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colonies
In this lesson, 5th graders learn about the people who founded the New England colonies and the role that religion played in shaping them. Includes background information for the teacher. Students explore primary resource readings on the...
Scholastic
Scholastic: The First Thanksgiving
This is a site covering every aspect of the first Thanksgiving ever celebrated. There is a picture timeline, an interactive trip on the Mayflower, and wonderful descriptions of what the lives of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians...
Curated OER
Etc: Maps Etc: Pilgrim Arrival at Cape Cod Harbor, 1620
A map showing the Pilgrim activity upon arrival at Cape Cod Harbor on the ship Mayflower (November 15-17, 1620). "There were three expeditions from the ship. The women were set ashore to wash at (a), and while the carpenter was repairing...
University of Illinois
University of Illinois: The Plymouth Colony Archive Project
This resource presents a collection of searchable texts, including court records, Colony laws, seminar analysis of various topics, and biographical profiles of selected colonists. It also includes a search engine and images.
Library of Congress
Loc: Learning Page: Primary Source Set: Thanksgiving
A set of primary documents that reflect the Mayflower, Plymouth, Puritans, the first Thanksgiving, and legislation for the holiday.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Lesson Plan: The First Thanksgiving
Teachers deepen students' understanding of the first Thanksgiving as they discuss the Mayflower voyage, life in the colonies, the Wampanoag traditions, and an extensive look into this time period.
Enchanted Learning
Enchanted Learning: Thanksgiving Crafts, Decorations, and Printouts
Enchanted Learning provides a wealth of Thanksgiving-related ideas for crafts, decorations, and activity worksheets. Make a turkey from handprints and footprints, create a thankful leaf wreath or a easy-to-make scarecrow, or follow the...
Other
Plimouth Plantation
Plimoth Plantation brings us "Living, breathing history," and lots of fun delving into various aspects like the Wampanoag, the English Colonists, the colony itself, and, of course, Thanksgiving - myth and reality. This is a site with...
Read Works
Read Works: The Story of the First Thanksgiving
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text telling the story of the first Thanksgiving. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New England Colonies: William Bradford; The First Thanksgiving
Plymouth Colony did not suffer the same problems as the English colony farther south, Jamestown. Read about the leadership of William Bradford, and the relationship between the settlers and the Native Americans who helped those who lived...