pilgrims

On a March afternoon in 1621, English settlers at Plymouth Colony received an astonishing surprise that would alter the course of American history. An Abenaki leader named Samoset walked boldly into their settlement and greeted the startled colonists with words they never expected to hear in the wilderness: "Welcome, Englishmen." This remarkable encounter, documented in the primary historical source known as Mourt's Relation, marked the beginning of critical relationships between Native Americans and European settlers that would define the early colonial period. An Unexpected Visitor from the North The arrival of Samoset on March 16, 1621, shocked the Plymouth colonists, who had been preparing their military defenses when this tall, striking figure appeared. According to Mourt's Relation, the 1622 account