Folklore of the United States memorialized on the shore of Plymouth Harbor in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The holiday of Thanksgiving is said to have begun with the Pilgrims in 1621. They had come to America to escape religious persecution, but then nearly starved to death. Some friendly Native Americans (including Squanto) helped the Pilgrims survive through the first winter. The perseverance of the Pilgrims is celebrated during the annual Thanksgiving festival. George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799), the country's first president, is often said to be the father of his country. Apocryphal stories about Washington's childhood include a claim that he skipped a
English colonial grants in North America (1621–1639) right to establish colonial settlements within a specified region. Often such patents were granted by The Crown, but at times such patents were granted secondarily, as in the case of the grant of the Province of Maine by the Plymouth Council for New England. Often such grants were overlapping and apparently contradictory. This feature was often by design, resulting in competitive colonization within a certain area by two or more private ventures. English colonial grants in North America (1621–1639) This article provides a listing and map of English colonial grants in North America during the years 1621 to 1639. Grants