I chose the state of Massachusetts because of the wonderful history of the state.
It is located in the Northeast corner of the United States. It borders .
the Atlantic Ocean. It also has a unique type of land form, it is called Cape Cod. Since .
Massachusetts is located along the coast it is a very popular boating area. One of the largest cities .
is Boston. Boston is a well known port city. Another famous city in Massachusetts is Plymouth. It .
is the city where the pilgrims first landed in 1620. In 1620 a group of 102 people left Great .
Britain. They were seeking religious freedom. They boarded the Mayflower and set sail. After a .
long trip, the Mayflower got off course and landed off the shore of Cape Cod. A small group .
went ashore to explore the area but he found that the soil was poor. So they set sail across the .
Cape Cod bay. They landed on the western shore. They found good soil, plenty of wild game, and .
a safe harbor. They decided to stay and build a new colony, which they called Plymouth. The .
pilgrims were hardworking, but they knew little about farming, and they were unprepared for their .
new life at the Plymouth colony. Very few pilgrims survived the first winter. Later they met two .
of the people who helped to save the colony. Their names were Samoset and Squanto. Squanto .
taught pilgrims how to plant corn, where to fish and hunt, and which plants were safe to eat. .
Samoset introduced the Wampanoag Indians. They then signed a peace treaty. To thank the .
Indians the pilgrims invited them to the first Thanksgiving. The celebration lasted three days. .
During 1620's new settlers arrived in the Plymouth colony. But in 1630 a group of puritans led by .
John Winthrop arrived in Salem. The puritans were seeking religious freedom. The puritan colony .
grew larger, and became a great success. But the success of the Puritans was bad news for the .
Indians. The puritans took land without paying for it and made Indians obey strict puritan laws.
