Dear Patrick,
I was on a trip to Cape Cod and stayed with British strangers until we had a house and jobs. Jobs in Cape Cod are hard to get even if kids have to work. If kids work we still won’t have enough money for food and clothes. My family and I were on a boat for a couple of days with hundreds of passengers. It was raining and snowing and really cold. The weather was in a pattern over and over again. Most of the people on the boat got sea sick and we started to run out of food. We stayed in Holland.
Holland was not a slave territory and both of the kids were slaves for a man called Master William Brewster. He was a very mean man in public, but in private, he was nice if you didn’t get on his bad side. William Brewster never made my daughter work; at least that’s what she told me. We found out that Master Brewster tried to be our friend after that. Jonathan Huggs bought my son and Master Brewster treated my daughter like a slave. One morning three gun shots went off and Huggs just killed my son. I was so mad I couldn’t handle myself. After my son’s death, December 1, 1620, we continued our journey to Cape Cod. After 2 weeks we made it to the free country.
Ever since we landed, everything has been going great. I miss my son, but we have a house, jobs, and we have a roommate called Henric. He is British and works in a factory to help pay the bills.
By J.M., a middle school student
Dec. 2, 1620
Dear John,
So far on the journey we have been trying to pass time. It is hard as it is with all these people. There isn’t much food and people are getting sea sick. We’re landing soon so the people will be able to grow food and get some fresh air.
We are near present day Boston where we started the Plymouth Colony. Winter is miserable. I can’t say I like it. When the weeks pass, there is rain, sleet, or snow. We built a meeting room and a few small houses.
Since landing we have been talking to the Indians. They have been nice to us. They have helped us plant food like corn, beans, and squash. We told the Indians to come and have a feast with us.
By J.R., a middle school student
Nov. 30, 1620
Dear Linda,
Girl, you won’t believe where I’m traveling to or who with. Well, I’m going to Plymouth, Massachusetts near Boston with the Indian guy named Squanto. Oh my gosh, it’s such a long journey.
Plymouth is crowded. It’s a new world with everybody walking around. There are men on horses riding from place to place. We met Squanto who taught us many things. The new world is alright, but it is boring at the same time. The food is nasty and you use fish for fertilizer. People die from starvation in the winter.
Anyway, Squanto and I do lots of work because it’s almost winter and we don’t have food. The minute we got to Plymouth, we started learning how to grow food so we could eat for the winter. We grew corn, beans, and squash.
By S.R., a middle school student
Nov. 30, 1620
Dear Eugenie,
On my way there really wasn’t much to do. I slept through most of it. But I met some really cool people and had a nice conversation. Some of them I hardly knew what they talked about. I saw some cool sights and the water looked cool.
What I saw were some Indians. Some of them looked really weird. The place was sort of boring. The Indians were showing me around but I only saw some kids working. I talked to them about my family. They thought it was cool. I saw some really cool things. While I was there I had my first Thanksgiving meal. It was not that fun and the food did not really taste good. I wish you could have been here.
By S.L., a middle school student
November 29, 1620
Dear Sheldina,
So far I have to say my journey has been alright. There are lots of people, but it’s cold and I’m by myself. I have no one to talk to; the loneliness makes it worse for me. I wish you were by my side. Some little kids are separated from their families. I feel sad for them but there’s nothing I can do for them.
The canals are so pretty. There are all kinds of people. I have made new friends even though it’s hard for me to talk to them. I don’t speak their language. The foods we eat are fish, deer, and goose. The winter is not nice.
I have been doing a lot. I even met some real Indians. I miss you so much. Thanks to the Indian men we can grow corn, beans, and squash. Don’t worry about me; I’m fine.
By E.G., a middle school student.
Nov. 28, 1620
Dear Pancho,
We are safe in the new world. The journey was totally yucky. The new world is great, and I’ve been doing a lot of things since the landing. The journey was so boring and disgusting. I couldn’t stand the smell. There was nothing to do but wait until we got here. The food was awful. A nasty biscuit chipped my tooth.
The winter is so terrible. People are dying of starvation. Other than this, the new world is okay. Since winter I have been fishing. I love this but when I catch a fish I never touch it. They are so slimy. I’ve also been playing games and spending time with the Indians. They are so cool. I love these people.
Maybe you can come and visit us in the new world.
By E.S., a middle school student
Nov. 30, 1620
Dear Lucas,
We are safe in the new world. The journey was long and horrible. I will never forget it. We landed on the coast of Cape Cod. I thought there would be people living in the new world, but there were only Indians. I am glad that we landed here.
I’ve made myself a cottage. We met an Indian named Samoset who does not speak much English. He brought a friend, Squanto, who spoke English to translate for us. He taught us how to grow corn, squash, beans, and make bear traps. We are holding a feast and inviting all of Squanto’s friends and family.
By O.C., a middle school student
Nov. 30, 1620
Dear Michael,
All 42 of us are on a journey to Plymouth Rock and we are still on the water. We all just want to get there in time. The ship just got to Plymouth Rock and we are going to find many different things.
We arrived and have found that there are many different things. They have different kinds of wood and they have gold. They have lots of new stuff. We met many Pilgrims and became friends. I met an Indian named Squanto. He was the biggest man in the group. This new world is nice.
By K.M., a middle school student
Nov. 30, 1620
Dear Tavian,
We just started our journey to Plymouth, MA on November 2, 1620. It was cold at night and warm during the day. I saw a whale. It was big and I was surprised because I have never seen a whale up close. I also saw sharks circling under the water. I don’t know what kind of sharks they were though.
We have reached land; today is November 13. We are in Plymouth, MA near Boston. It is full of Indians. After I settled in I went outside and made an Indian friend. Once I got to know him I asked him to teach me some words. He agreed. I learned “geode morgen” which means good morning. The Indians are very kind to me and they treat me with respect.
One day Squanto and I went hunting for wild bears and cows. I shot two bears and Squanto shot four. I really had fun. That was my first time hunting. Today Squanto taught me how to make a spear. The first one I made didn’t come out too well, so I put that one aside and tried again. My second one looked just like Squanto’s. He also taught me how to throw the spear. A tree was the target. I hit 5 out of six shots.
By D.M., a middle school student
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