America’s First Thanksgiving

1. America’s First Thanksgiving Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. Psalm 95:2 Rev. David B. Hanson November 21, 2010 Deaf Liberty Baptist Church Overland Park, Kansas

2. Elder William Brewster

3. Who Was Elder William Brewster? • Was born in Doncaster, England in 1567 • Was one of 102 Mayflower passengers arriving America from England • Was religious leader of the Pilgrims • Was an advisor to Governor William Bradford • Married Mary Wyrall or Wentworth and had seven children • Died in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1644

4. The True Worshippers • John 4:23-24 • 23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. • 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

5. The State Church • The State Church • A religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state • The Catholic Church • The Church of England • Everyone was required to attend that church every week.

6. The Separatists Escaped to Holland

7. Why The Pilgrims Moved to Holland from England • King James I stopped the persecution but kept the state church. • The Separatist church was formed at William Brewster’s house in 1606. • The Separatists left England and went to Holland and stayed there for about 10 years. • William Brewster was arrested and put in jail during the first attempt to escape to Holland.

8. Why the Pilgrims Left Holland • The Pilgrims stayed in Holland for about 10 years. • William Brewster printed books in opposition to the Church of England and smuggled them to England. • James 1 pressed Holland to arrest William Brewster. • The Pilgrims decided to go to America because of the low wages, the danger of renewed war with Spain, and concern for their children's future.

9. The Pilgrims • I Peter 2:11 • Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

10. The Mayflower

11. The Mayflower • The Puritans or Separatists became the Pilgrims as they traveled to America. • There were 102 passengers and 30 crews. • The Pilgrims left England on September 16, 1620. • One bad storm cracked the main beam, and it was screwed with the printing screw. • One baby was born during this journey.

12. The Mayflower Compact

13. The Mayflower Compact • The Mayflower Compact, which was to be the official Constitution of Plymouth Colony for over 70 years, is the first American State Paper. • It is also the first statement of the principles of democracy as we now know and understand them. • For the first time in the history of the world, a group of men --of their own will--agreed to be governed by themselves according to the will of the majority. • The Mayflower Compact is the first document of American Democracy.

14. The Arrival of America • After a 65-day journey the Pilgrims sighted Cape Cod on November 19, 1620. • They landed Plymouth on December 26, 1620. • The Pilgrims faced the severe winter, and half of them died of illness.

15. First Thanksgiving

16. First Thanksgiving • The Indians helped the Pilgrims to have good crops during summer. • The Pilgrims had good harvest and decided to have first thanksgiving feast for three days with the Indians. • The first Thanksgiving lasted for 3 days during the autumn of 1621. • There were 53 surviving Pilgrims.

17. The Light of the World • Philippians 2:15 • That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;