Facts and Myths
Seeking Religious Freedom: Pilgrims and Puritans
Directions: After reading about the New England colony Massachusetts, identify which statements are facts and which statements are myths. Then, correct any myths to make them facts.
1. Pilgrims faced possible imprisonment in England, because they wanted to separate from the Church of England.
2. In the early 1600s, a group of Separatists left England for Paris, France, because the French allowed them to worship freely.
3. Some Separatists went back to England, because they thought that their children were growing up more Dutch than English.
4. During the Pilgrims’/Separatists’ voyage on the Mayflower, they signed an agreement called the Mayflower Compact that described the way in which they would govern themselves in the new world.
5. With the help of the Spanish, the Pilgrims were able to survive the first winter after landing near Jamestown, Virginia.
6. In 1621, the Pilgrims invited the Native Americans to share their first thanksgiving harvest, a holiday which is still celebrated today.
7. In 1630, a group of Puritans decided to go to America, which was greatly appreciated by the king. Therefore, they were granted a charter to establish a colony named Massachusetts Bay.
8. The Puritans wanted to govern themselves according to the rules of the Bible and set an example for the rest of the world.