If you go to New Plymouth, a small town in the United States, you can see a special rock that goes into the sea. Many people from the United States and other countries visit this rock. They remember the first people who came to live there more than 300 years ago.
These first settlers built a small village, which later grew into a bigger town. In 1620, a ship called the "Mayflower" brought about one hundred people from England. The journey was very long and difficult. The people had little food and faced many storms at sea.
When they finally arrived, it was autumn. They explored the land and found a good place to live with fields, forests, and a small river. They started to build houses and plant crops, including maize (corn), which they found on the land.
During the first winter, life was very hard. Many people were sick, and some died. But with time, they built warm houses, planted crops, and worked together. By spring, they were healthier and happier.
Some local people taught the settlers how to plant maize and helped them in the fields. The settlers were thankful and invited them to a special meal in autumn. They ate turkey and other food, and this meal became the tradition called Thanksgiving Day. Since then, people in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving and enjoy turkey at this holiday.
