The truth of Thanksgiving is that in 1614 a group of English explorers returned to England with a ship full of Patuxet Indians to be sold for slavery. When the English came over to America, they brought smallpox and wiped out most of the Patuxet that had survived except for one. His name was Squanto. He learned the English language and showed them how to grow corn and fish. He also got a peace treaty between the Pilgrims and Wampanoags. Thus, the "First Thanksgiving" was held to honor Squanto and the Wampanoags. Soon the Puritans moved to America, and because there were no fences around the land, the Puritans considered it public domain. Puritans and other British settlers took the land and captured Native Americans as slaves. The Pequot Nation refused to listen to the Peace Treaty that was previously made. They fought back, and it was the bloodiest Indian war.