In this inquiry, students investigate one of the best-known stories in American history—the interaction between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags that included the first Thanksgiving. The compelling question “Why did the Pilgrim–Wampanoag friendship go so wrong?” focuses on how the relationship between Native Americans and European settlers deteriorated over time. The Pilgrims’ initial contact with the Wampanoags in the winter of 1621 was not the first time Europeans and Native Americans met, but the interactions that followed have become a central part of the narrative of American history. As they complete this inquiry, students learn more about the history of colonial and Native American relations by responding to the compelling question with an argument about how the interactions between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags changed over time.
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About the inquiry
Compelling Question
Why Did the Pilgrim–Wampanoag Friendship Go So Wrong?
Staging Question
Using a painting to spark interest, record prior knowledge about the Pilgrims, the Wampanoag, and the positive and negative Pilgrim–Wampanoag interactions.
What was the early contact like between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags?
Formative TasksWrite a first-person account from the perspective of a Pilgrim and/or a Wampanoag man or woman about their early contact in 1621.
SourcesSource A: Image bank: Maps and illustrations of “Pilgrim Village”
Source B: Excerpts from Mourt's Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth
Source C: Illustrations of Samoset meeting the Pilgrims
How did the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags cooperate in the early years after first contact?
Formative TasksCreate an annotated illustration that highlights how the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags cooperated in the early years after their first contact.
SourcesSource A: Excerpt from Mourt's Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth
Source B: Excerpt from Of Plymouth Plantation
Source C: Excerpt from Of Plymouth Plantation
How did the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags move from cooperation to conflict?
Formative TasksMake a claim supported by evidence about whether or not the conflicts could have been avoided from the perspective of the Pilgrims and/or the Wampanoags.
SourcesSource A: Chart of population of the New England Colonies, 1620–1750
Source B: Image bank: Maps of 17th-century Plymouth settlements
Source C: Excerpts from A Relation of the Indian War
Source D: Map of King Philip’s War
Summative Performance Task
Argument: Why did the Pilgrim–Wampanoag friendship go so wrong? Construct an argument (e.g., detailed outline, poster, essay) that discusses the deteriorating relationship between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags using specific claims and relevant evidence from historical sources while acknowledging competing views.
Extension: Create a graphic short story that illustrates an argument for how and why the Pilgrim and Wampanoag relationship deteriorated over time, including supporting and counterevidence from a variety of sources.
Taking Informed Action
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