How many people were aboard?

There were 102 passengers on the Mayflower. It´s harder to determine exactly who was on the crew. There appear to be at least 12. There was a captain, four mates, a doctor, a carpenter, a gunner, a boatswain, a cook, and three quartermasters.

How Big Was the Mayflower?

The Mayflower was 106 1/2 feet long. It really only has 3 levels below the deck - one which holds the crew and captain, a "in between level" where the passengers were stuffed, and then a lower level which carried all of the supplies.

Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party was on December 16, 1773. Most people at the time drank tea, and the British taxed it heavily. The people of Massachusetts became furious that they were paying such high taxes to a country that didn´t seem to care about them. When ships bearing tea arrived in Boston Harbor, Samuel Adams lead a nighttime sneak attack and, dressed as Indians, they poured all of the tea into the harbour.

Indian friends

When the Mayflower first landed in Massachusetts, the pilgrims were met by the native Wampanoag Indians. They lived in small villages along the coastline of both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The Indian which helped them the most was "Squanto", who had visited England before and knew how to speak English and work with these visitors.

Thanksgiving Began in 1621

The Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts in 1620, and had a very rough winter in which many of them died. In 1621, the governor, William Bradford, decided to celebrate when the harvest came in well in the fall. He called for a day of "thanksgiving".

Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell´s famous first words on his telephone were, "Watson - come here - I want you" on March 10th, 1876. He did his research and experimentation in Boston.

Boston Massacre

On March 5, 1770, a group of Americans were harassing a troop of British soldiers by throwing ice and snowballs at them. The soldiers retaliated by firing into the crowd, killing 5 people. This infuriated the local population, inciting them to further acts of rebellion.

Seating Arrangements at the First Thanksgiving

The Wampanoag Indians normally ate sitting on the ground, on furs. For this special occasion, they sat at the tables with the Pilgrims. The Indian women and men both ate together. Pilgrim women didn´t have this equal status though - they had to stand behind their menfolk, dutifully waiting until the men were done and full before they were allowed to eat anything.

28th Mass Volunteer Infantry

This civil war unit was involved in quite a bit of fighting - the reenactment group helps keep this knowledge and bravery alive.

http://www.28thmass.org/

Old Sturbridge Village

This gorgeous recreation 1850s village is located about an hour outside of Boston, and offers a full-day look at how life was back in the 1800s. The fully functioning farm and town has churches, merchants, cobblers, tinsmiths, and much more.

http://www.osv.org

The Big Dig

This huge highway project actually was first talked about in the 1950s, when traffic began to be a big problem for Boston. Over the years more proposals were offered. Funding officially began in 1987 with the Transportation Authority Bill, passed by US Congress despite President Reagan´s veto.

The Great Fire of 1872

On November 12, 1872, a huge fire wiped out 65 acres of Boston, destroying most of Boston´s financial district. Many people had warned that a fire was likely, given the crowded nature of the city and lack of fire equipment. It is unknown what sparked the fire.

Bunker Hill Monument

The Battle of Bunker Hill is famous for the phrase, "Don´t Fire until you see the Whites of their Eyes", said by Colonel William Prescott. The battle was fought on June 17, 1775. The existing monument was placed on the spot in 1842 to commemorate the battle.

Bunker Hill Monument

The Mayflower

The Mayflower was the ship that the Pilgrims came over to Massachusetts in. The Plimoth Plantation has a full size reproduction of it that you can go aboard and look around. See just what sorts of conditions the pilgrims traveled in!

Mayflower

Bussing Issues of 1974

On June 21, 1974, US District Judge W. Arthur Garrity Jr. ruled that Boston had to start bussing students in order to have its schools be more racially diverse. There was a lot of violence when the bussing began, as whites fought to prevent it, and blacks fought to protect themselves and their children.

Indians Bringing Food

The pilgrims invited their two key Indian helpers, Squanto, Samoset, plus Chief Massasoit, to share in their Thanksgiving since they had been so instrumental in the pilgrims´ successes that summer. The Indians brought their families, numbering over 90 people. The pilgrims were overwhelmed, and didn´t have enough food, so the Indians brought along their own supplies for the feast.

Roberts vs Boston - Segregation

This landmark case began when Sarah Roberts had to walk past five "white" schools in order to reach her own "colored" school. The case actually ended in finding that it was OK for her to have to do so, but public sentiment had been aroused and legislation passed on April 28, 1855 barring segregation.

What was served at the first Thanksgiving?

As there were over 90 Indians at the first Thanksgiving, they brought a lot of the food with them. There was turkey, deer, berries, squash, cornbread, and beans.

Plimoth Plantation

This recreation of a Pilgrim Village from 1627 lets you walk around and talk to the "inhabitants", learning first hand what life was like back then.

Plimoth Plantation

National Holiday in 1863

Many states began having their own Thanksgiving celebrations in the fall, to give thanks for bountiful harvests. Abraham Lincoln made it official, and set aside the third Thursday as the national holiday in 1863.