England, so they sailed to America in a ship called the Mayflower. They became not only farmers, but also businessmen who bought and sold animal skins. They thought that all men were equal and so they did not have slaves.
The Pilgrims too were often ill and hungry, and nearly half of them died in the first year. But they were helped by friendly Indians, who showed them how to grow corn. In the autumn of 1621, the Pilgrims had a big dinner to give thanks for the first food that they had grown themselves. This day became known as
Thanksgiving, and Americans still celebrate it every year, on the fourth Thursday of November. It is one of the most important holidays in the year, and people often travel many hundreds of kilometres to be with their family.
USA facts
'America' was named after an Italian businessman called Amerigo Vespucci, who sailed to South America between 1499 and 1502. Columbus called the Native Americans 'Indians' because he thought that he had reached India.