How Thanksgiving is Also a Day of Mourning
How Thanksgiving is Also a Day of Mourning
by Catherine O'Hagan
Today, there is a statue of Massasoit, a Wampanoag chief, in
Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Gkullberg on Wikimedia Commons
Every November, millions of people in the United States come together over a meal, expressing appreciation for the good things in their lives. Many view that event-the national holiday of Thanksgiving-as a joyous celebration of American history. For other Americans, the holiday is instead a reminder of injustice and a day of mourning.The Thanksgiving story that is often told celebrates a group of Englishmen and women who arrived in America in 1620. Those people, known as Pilgrims, came seeking freedom and believing the land was theirs to take. After a difficult first year, they invited the original residents of the land to join them in a happy harvest feast.With more knowledge of history, though, that story looks different. The Wampanoag people had lived in present-day Massachusetts for centuries. A few years before the Pilgrims came, British trading ships began arriving. Some traders kidnapped Natives and sold them into slavery. The traders also brought disease that was new to the Wampanoag so their bodies did not know how to fight it. By 1615, the Wampanoag were dying from an epidemic of an illness
ReadWorks.org · © 2020 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
How Thanksgiving is Also a Day of Mourning
that we now know was carried to them by rats on those trading ships. Some historians say
that 90 percent of the Wampanoag died.When the passengers of the Pilgrims' ship, the Mayflower, came ashore at Plymouth, Wampanoag members watched from a distance for some time. They saw the hungry settlers take corn from abandoned fields, struggling to survive. In fact, half of the Mayflower passengers died within the first year. The Wampanoag wanted to avoid violence or conflict with these new settlers. They decided to work together with the Pilgrims.In 1621, Wampanoag chief Massasoit met with the Pilgrims. He and his people taught them how to plant crops like corn and catch and prepare fish. After a harsh winter, some Wampanoag tribe members joined the Pilgrims' harvest feast and celebration. The two peoples lived in peace for about 50 years. But then warfare broke out between the communities. Soon, hundreds of Native Americans were killed or enslaved, and their lands
were taken by European settlers.The following years were filled with wars, exploitation, prejudice, and discrimination against Native Americans. Today, many Native communities still struggle with high levels of poverty and illness. They want their fellow Americans to understand the full story of how they were treated on the land that was theirs long before Europeans arrived.In 1970, the 350th anniversary of the arrival of the Mayflower, organizers of a major celebration invited Wamsutta James, a leader of the Wampanoag, to speak. In his written remarks he said, "We, the Wampanoag, welcomed you, the white man, with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end; that before 50 years were to pass, the Wampanoag would no longer be a free people." When the organizers read his speech, they asked him to rewrite it. Wamsutta refused and withdrew from the event. Instead, the Native American community organized a Day of Mourning. Now, hundreds of people gather each year at Plymouth Rock to talk about the Thanksgiving story from the perspective of Native communities.Today, decades after that undelivered speech, Day of Mourning organizers feel that more people are listening to the full history of Thanksgiving. But they still lament the devastation Native Americans endured. They hope that one day the full history of Thanksgiving will be
widely acknowledged-and honored.
ReadWorks.org · © 2020 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
ReadWorks Vocabulary
Vocabulary
community
community
noun
noun
definition:a particular area where a group of people live.definition:A community is a large group of people who live
in the same neighborhood, town, or area. A community can also be a large group of people who have something very important in common.
A new store opened next to the school in my
community.
The whole community was happy when some kids joined together to pick up litter on the sidewalks.
Spanish:comunidadcommunities
forms:
Spanish:comunidadcommunities
forms:
mourn
perspective
intransitive verb
noun
definition:to feel or show deep sorrow or grief, especially definition:the way things are seen from a particular point
for the dead; grieve.
of view.
The city mourned for the people who had lost their Fans of the rock-'n'-roll idol mourned over his death.Some citizens mourned while others celebrated at the news of the dictator's death.
The perspective from the airplane made everything
lives in the explosion.
below look tiny.
Spanish:perspectiv
Spanish:estar de luto, llorar la muerte de alguien, estar mourned, mourning, mourns
de duelo
forms:
ReadWorks.org · © 2026 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.Definitions and sample sentences within definitions are provided by Wordsmyth. © 2026 Wordsmyth. All rights reserved.
ReadWorks Vocabulary
warfare
noun
definition:fighting; conflict.
Refugees fled the country to escape the constant
warfare.
Spanish:guerra, combate
ReadWorks.org · © 2026 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.Definitions and sample sentences within definitions are provided by Wordsmyth. © 2026 Wordsmyth. All rights reserved.
Name: __________________________________ Date: _______________
1. Before you start reading...Here are the vocabulary words that will be in this reading. Let's see how well you already know them.Check the box that shows how well you know each word. It's ok if you don't know them yet (this is not
graded)!
Have heard of it but Know something
Don't know it
not sure of its meaning
Know it well
about its meaning
communityperspectivewarfare
2. Word Builder Words are made of smaller parts that are called syllables. Some words have one syllable, but many have two or more. Draw lines to show how the syllables build each vocabulary word.
ty
com
tive
mu
ni
per
fare
war
spec
1.
2.
3.
3. After reading and exploring the words through some activities... Do you know these words better? Check the box that shows how well you know each word. It's ok if
you don't know them yet (this is not graded)!
Have heard of it but Know something
Don't know it
not sure of its meaning
Know it well
about its meaning
communityperspectivewarfare
ReadWorks.org · © 2026 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.Vocabulary powered by WordSmyth. © 2026 Wordsmyth. All rights reserved.
How Thanksgiving is Also a Day of Mourning - Comprehension Questions
Name: ___________________________________ Date: _______________
1.What holiday do some people view as a joyous celebration of American history?
A. ChristmasB. HanukkahC. DiwaliD. Thanksgiving
2.The author says that the Wampanoag people decided to help the Pilgrims survive by teaching them about farming and fishing. The two communities lived in peace for about 50 years. What happened after this time of peace?
A. Warfare broke out between the two communities, and hundreds of Native Americans
were killed or enslaved.B. The two communities continued to live peacefully, forming a new government that
combined their people into one group.C. The two communities started fighting against each other, and the European settlers eventually got sick of fighting and went back to England.D. The Native Americans decided to leave the area because the land was all being
farmed by the Pilgrims.
3.Many Native Americans consider Thanksgiving a day of sadness and mourning for
hundreds of years of mistreatment.What evidence from the passage supports this conclusion?
A. "But then warfare broke out between the communities. Soon, hundreds of Native Americans were killed or enslaved, and their lands were taken by European settlers."B. "When the passengers of the Pilgrim's ship, the Mayflower, came ashore at Plymouth, Wampanoag members watched from a distance for some time. They saw the hungry settlers take corn from abandoned fields, struggling to survive."C. "By 1615, the Wampanoag were dying from an epidemic of an illness that we now know was carried to them by rats on those trading ships. Some historians say that 90
percent of the Wampanoag died."D. "Instead, the Native American community organized a Day of Mourning. Now, hundreds of people gather each year at Plymouth Rock to talk about the Thanksgiving story from the perspective of Native communities."
ReadWorks.org · © 2026 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
How Thanksgiving is Also a Day of Mourning - Comprehension Questions
4.How is the treatment of Native Americans by European settlers, like the Pilgrims, related to the experience of modern day Native American communities?
A. Many Native communities today still struggle with poverty and illness because they have suffered many years of injustice from European settlers and their descendants.B. Many Native communities today refuse to talk about the harm that European settlers caused their communities because they prefer not to think about it.C. Many Native communities today are doing very well because eventually European settlers stopped being destructive and started helping them.D. Many Native communities today don't remember most of what the settlers did to them years ago because they've tried to forget it and not talk about it often.
5.What is the main idea of this text?
A. The Pilgrims were a group of Englishmen and women who came to America in 1620, escaping religious persecution in their homeland with the belief that land in America was
theirs to take.B. Many people understand the Thanksgiving holiday as a celebration of history, but Native Americans are challenging that idea by talking about the painful and destructive history of their relationship with European settlers.C. An epidemic in 1615 was caused by rats that came to America on trading ships from Europe, and the disease that spread was very deadly to the Wampanoag tribe, who lost
up to 90 percent of their tribe.D. Wamsutta James is a leader of the Wampanoag people today, and when he was asked to give a speech on Thanksgiving in 1970, he wrote a speech that captured the
truth of the history of the holiday.
ReadWorks.org · © 2026 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
thanksgiving questions.pdf
Laura Mitchell
Created on June 8, 2026
Start designing with a free template
Discover more than 1500 professional designs like these:
View
Geographical Challenge: Drag to the map
View
Explainer Video: AI for Companies
View
Explainer Video: Keys to Effective Communication
View
SWOT Challenge: Classify Key Factors
View
Big Data: The Data That Drives the World
View
Mind Map: The 4 Pillars of Success
View
Momentum: Employee Introduction Presentation
Explore all templates
Transcript
How Thanksgiving is Also a Day of Mourning
How Thanksgiving is Also a Day of Mourning
by Catherine O'Hagan
Today, there is a statue of Massasoit, a Wampanoag chief, in
Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Gkullberg on Wikimedia Commons
Every November, millions of people in the United States come together over a meal, expressing appreciation for the good things in their lives. Many view that event-the national holiday of Thanksgiving-as a joyous celebration of American history. For other Americans, the holiday is instead a reminder of injustice and a day of mourning.The Thanksgiving story that is often told celebrates a group of Englishmen and women who arrived in America in 1620. Those people, known as Pilgrims, came seeking freedom and believing the land was theirs to take. After a difficult first year, they invited the original residents of the land to join them in a happy harvest feast.With more knowledge of history, though, that story looks different. The Wampanoag people had lived in present-day Massachusetts for centuries. A few years before the Pilgrims came, British trading ships began arriving. Some traders kidnapped Natives and sold them into slavery. The traders also brought disease that was new to the Wampanoag so their bodies did not know how to fight it. By 1615, the Wampanoag were dying from an epidemic of an illness
ReadWorks.org · © 2020 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
How Thanksgiving is Also a Day of Mourning
that we now know was carried to them by rats on those trading ships. Some historians say
that 90 percent of the Wampanoag died.When the passengers of the Pilgrims' ship, the Mayflower, came ashore at Plymouth, Wampanoag members watched from a distance for some time. They saw the hungry settlers take corn from abandoned fields, struggling to survive. In fact, half of the Mayflower passengers died within the first year. The Wampanoag wanted to avoid violence or conflict with these new settlers. They decided to work together with the Pilgrims.In 1621, Wampanoag chief Massasoit met with the Pilgrims. He and his people taught them how to plant crops like corn and catch and prepare fish. After a harsh winter, some Wampanoag tribe members joined the Pilgrims' harvest feast and celebration. The two peoples lived in peace for about 50 years. But then warfare broke out between the communities. Soon, hundreds of Native Americans were killed or enslaved, and their lands
were taken by European settlers.The following years were filled with wars, exploitation, prejudice, and discrimination against Native Americans. Today, many Native communities still struggle with high levels of poverty and illness. They want their fellow Americans to understand the full story of how they were treated on the land that was theirs long before Europeans arrived.In 1970, the 350th anniversary of the arrival of the Mayflower, organizers of a major celebration invited Wamsutta James, a leader of the Wampanoag, to speak. In his written remarks he said, "We, the Wampanoag, welcomed you, the white man, with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end; that before 50 years were to pass, the Wampanoag would no longer be a free people." When the organizers read his speech, they asked him to rewrite it. Wamsutta refused and withdrew from the event. Instead, the Native American community organized a Day of Mourning. Now, hundreds of people gather each year at Plymouth Rock to talk about the Thanksgiving story from the perspective of Native communities.Today, decades after that undelivered speech, Day of Mourning organizers feel that more people are listening to the full history of Thanksgiving. But they still lament the devastation Native Americans endured. They hope that one day the full history of Thanksgiving will be
widely acknowledged-and honored.
ReadWorks.org · © 2020 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
ReadWorks Vocabulary
Vocabulary
community
community
noun
noun
definition:a particular area where a group of people live.definition:A community is a large group of people who live
in the same neighborhood, town, or area. A community can also be a large group of people who have something very important in common.
A new store opened next to the school in my
community.
The whole community was happy when some kids joined together to pick up litter on the sidewalks.
Spanish:comunidadcommunities
forms:
Spanish:comunidadcommunities
forms:
mourn
perspective
intransitive verb
noun
definition:to feel or show deep sorrow or grief, especially definition:the way things are seen from a particular point
for the dead; grieve.
of view.
The city mourned for the people who had lost their Fans of the rock-'n'-roll idol mourned over his death.Some citizens mourned while others celebrated at the news of the dictator's death.
The perspective from the airplane made everything
lives in the explosion.
below look tiny.
Spanish:perspectiv
Spanish:estar de luto, llorar la muerte de alguien, estar mourned, mourning, mourns
de duelo
forms:
ReadWorks.org · © 2026 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.Definitions and sample sentences within definitions are provided by Wordsmyth. © 2026 Wordsmyth. All rights reserved.
ReadWorks Vocabulary
warfare
noun
definition:fighting; conflict.
Refugees fled the country to escape the constant
warfare.
Spanish:guerra, combate
ReadWorks.org · © 2026 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.Definitions and sample sentences within definitions are provided by Wordsmyth. © 2026 Wordsmyth. All rights reserved.
Name: __________________________________ Date: _______________
1. Before you start reading...Here are the vocabulary words that will be in this reading. Let's see how well you already know them.Check the box that shows how well you know each word. It's ok if you don't know them yet (this is not
graded)!
Have heard of it but Know something
Don't know it
not sure of its meaning
Know it well
about its meaning
communityperspectivewarfare
2. Word Builder Words are made of smaller parts that are called syllables. Some words have one syllable, but many have two or more. Draw lines to show how the syllables build each vocabulary word.
ty
com
tive
mu
ni
per
fare
war
spec
1.
2.
3.
3. After reading and exploring the words through some activities... Do you know these words better? Check the box that shows how well you know each word. It's ok if
you don't know them yet (this is not graded)!
Have heard of it but Know something
Don't know it
not sure of its meaning
Know it well
about its meaning
communityperspectivewarfare
ReadWorks.org · © 2026 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.Vocabulary powered by WordSmyth. © 2026 Wordsmyth. All rights reserved.
How Thanksgiving is Also a Day of Mourning - Comprehension Questions
Name: ___________________________________ Date: _______________
1.What holiday do some people view as a joyous celebration of American history?
A. ChristmasB. HanukkahC. DiwaliD. Thanksgiving
2.The author says that the Wampanoag people decided to help the Pilgrims survive by teaching them about farming and fishing. The two communities lived in peace for about 50 years. What happened after this time of peace?
A. Warfare broke out between the two communities, and hundreds of Native Americans
were killed or enslaved.B. The two communities continued to live peacefully, forming a new government that
combined their people into one group.C. The two communities started fighting against each other, and the European settlers eventually got sick of fighting and went back to England.D. The Native Americans decided to leave the area because the land was all being
farmed by the Pilgrims.
3.Many Native Americans consider Thanksgiving a day of sadness and mourning for
hundreds of years of mistreatment.What evidence from the passage supports this conclusion?
A. "But then warfare broke out between the communities. Soon, hundreds of Native Americans were killed or enslaved, and their lands were taken by European settlers."B. "When the passengers of the Pilgrim's ship, the Mayflower, came ashore at Plymouth, Wampanoag members watched from a distance for some time. They saw the hungry settlers take corn from abandoned fields, struggling to survive."C. "By 1615, the Wampanoag were dying from an epidemic of an illness that we now know was carried to them by rats on those trading ships. Some historians say that 90
percent of the Wampanoag died."D. "Instead, the Native American community organized a Day of Mourning. Now, hundreds of people gather each year at Plymouth Rock to talk about the Thanksgiving story from the perspective of Native communities."
ReadWorks.org · © 2026 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
How Thanksgiving is Also a Day of Mourning - Comprehension Questions
4.How is the treatment of Native Americans by European settlers, like the Pilgrims, related to the experience of modern day Native American communities?
A. Many Native communities today still struggle with poverty and illness because they have suffered many years of injustice from European settlers and their descendants.B. Many Native communities today refuse to talk about the harm that European settlers caused their communities because they prefer not to think about it.C. Many Native communities today are doing very well because eventually European settlers stopped being destructive and started helping them.D. Many Native communities today don't remember most of what the settlers did to them years ago because they've tried to forget it and not talk about it often.
5.What is the main idea of this text?
A. The Pilgrims were a group of Englishmen and women who came to America in 1620, escaping religious persecution in their homeland with the belief that land in America was
theirs to take.B. Many people understand the Thanksgiving holiday as a celebration of history, but Native Americans are challenging that idea by talking about the painful and destructive history of their relationship with European settlers.C. An epidemic in 1615 was caused by rats that came to America on trading ships from Europe, and the disease that spread was very deadly to the Wampanoag tribe, who lost
up to 90 percent of their tribe.D. Wamsutta James is a leader of the Wampanoag people today, and when he was asked to give a speech on Thanksgiving in 1970, he wrote a speech that captured the
truth of the history of the holiday.
ReadWorks.org · © 2026 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.