Thanksgiving in Plymouth

Well, not really. But close. I spent part of the weekend at Plimoth Plantation as part of a Girl Scout program. I was very interested--because I love history, and I'm working on freelance project about colonial America. I've been researching since June--and my weekend made it very clear to me that my extensive research has merely scratched the surface.

PP has a living museum--with live "pilgrims" in a reproduction of the 1627 settlement. They also have a Wampanoag village with native American historians describing daily life.  The craft center is amazing as craftspeople create reproductions of the time in the same manner they were originally created--hand sewn, hand carved, etc.

If you're in the area, I highly recommend the trip to Plymouth.  We also had a chance to tour the Mayflower II.  Incredible to think of a four month voyage with 100 of your closest friends on that boat. 

It's even harder to imagine the living conditions and the basic daily comforts that they lacked.  My daughter thought the Native Americans had it better because their wetus were warmer than the colonist's houses.

For the most part, the Pilgrims and the Native Americans at that time got along pretty well.  But I start to get emotional when I think of the violence and the grief that both groups suffered as time progressed.  And of course the Native Americans lost everything in the end.

We should celebrate the things we are thankful for this week.  But we should also remember the people who came before us and the things they suffered for us to be where we are.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!