First Thanksgiving ABC's

ABC's of The First Thanksgiving
Marci McGowan H. W. Mountz School Spring Lake, NJ

Ed. Note to Parents and Teachers: The page is based on a Thanksgiving ABC story seen in Copycat Magazine a few years ago. The revised content is current for accuracy and readability for young readers. One of the best websites to find accurate background material and dispel common myths about the first Thanksgiving, is Caleb Johnson's, The Mayflower Pages. You can see other resources at our Thanksgiving Treasures webpage.

Narrator 1:
Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays. We have been learning about early America and the very first Thanksgiving celebration.

A is for Americans
Some of the earliest Americans were the Pilgrims. They wanted to be free to have their own religion.

B is for Big Ship
The Pilgrims sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in a big ship called the Mayflower.

C is for Cramped
The ship was very cramped or crowded. There was little room for children to play. Many people became sick.

D is for Danger
The trip was filled with danger. Often there were storms with great winds. Everyone was afraid.

E is for Explore
After 66 days the happy Pilgrims reached land. Some of the men went to shore to explore. They wanted to see what was there.

F is for Fields
They found forests and fields where the native people had planted corn. They found clean water to drink.

G is for Grateful
Everyone was happy and grateful. They found a safe place to live the way they wanted.

H is for Hard
That first winter was very cold and hard for the Pilgrims. There was not enough food. Many people got sick and died.

I is for INDIAN (now we say Native American)
A friendly Indian named Squanto helped the Pilgrims. He showed them how to plant corn and where to find fish.

J is for JONES
In the spring, Captain Jones, the captain of the Mayflower, went back to England. The Pilgrims stayed in their new home, America.

K is for KEPT
The Pilgrims kept working hard. They planted gardens and built houses and furniture.

L is for Land
They learned how to hunt and fish in the new land.

M is for MANY
By summer, the Pilgrims had built many houses. Their vegetable gardens grew well.

N is for NO ONE
By November, there was plenty to eat. No one would be hungry this winter.

O is for ONE
One day, Governor Bradford said, “We should be thankful for our harvest.”

P is for Pilgrims
The Pilgrims harvested pumpkins, corn, squash, beans, and carrots. They found nuts and berries in the woods.

Q is for QUAIL
The men hunted for wild quail, turkey, geese, and deer. They caught fish in the rivers.

R is for READY
They caught lobsters, clams, and oysters in the ocean. They got everything ready for a big celebration.

S is for SHARE
The Pilgrims wanted to share what they had with the Indians, their new friends.

T is for THANKFUL
The Pilgrims were thankful. Now they had food, homes, and friends.

U is for US
The Pilgrims said to their new friends, “Please join us!”

V is for VISIT
They invited the Indians to visit them for their special harvest celebration.

W is for When
When everyone came, they ate together and played games.

X is for EXCITED
The Pilgrims were EXCITED and very happy. Their celebration lasted for three days!

Y is for YELLED
The children played and laughed and yelled.

Z is for Zany
The children acted zany, running all around with their new friends. They had a wonderful time.

Narrator 2: Most people don't know that the Pilgrims did not celebrate again the next year. Later on, several Presidents, including George Washington, made one-time Thanksgiving holidays.

Narrator 3:
It became an official holiday in 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln, said to set aside the last Thursday in November to give thanks.

Narrator 3:
In 1941, Congress made Thanksgiving an annual national holiday to be celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November.
Now it's a time for family and friends to give thanks together, eat lots of good food, watch parades and football games. It's also the start of the winter holiday season!