A group of 120 people (women and children as well) left England (Plymouth) on 6^th September 1620 aboard of the Mayflower flying from the religious wars which characterized the age of the Stuarts and disembarked on the northern American coast, the Bay of Cape Code, on 11^th November; that territory will be called New England and will be made up of the following future six states: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Its capital town will be Boston. They were the first group of people who arrived there; after them there will be huge migrations of people flying from Europe for many reasons. They were strict Puritans and were flying from the Anglican persecutions in England. Only one year after their arrival, on 11^th November 1621, despite the initial hard conditions, they welcomed the first good harvest with turkey, maize and pumpkin: they gave origin to the Thanksgiving Day, still celebrated nowadays. New England quickly became the most important centre of culture and philosophy of the New World and from there the first pressures and movements for the colonies’ independence started.

(Isabella Marinaro)

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