▁important ▁symbol ▁in ▁American ▁history . ▁There ▁are ▁no ▁contemporary ▁references ▁to ▁the ▁Pil gr ims ' ▁landing ▁on ▁a ▁rock ▁at ▁P ly mouth . ▁The ▁first ▁written ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁Pil gr ims ▁landing ▁on ▁a ▁rock ▁is ▁found ▁ 1 2 1   year s ▁after ▁they ▁land ed . ▁The ▁Rock , ▁or ▁one ▁tradition ally ▁identified ▁as ▁it , ▁has ▁long ▁been ▁mem orial ized ▁on ▁the ▁shore ▁of ▁P ly mouth ▁Har bor ▁in ▁P ly mouth , ▁Massachusetts . ▁The ▁hol iday ▁of ▁Thanks g iving ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁begun ▁with ▁the ▁Pil gr ims ▁in ▁ 1 6 2 1 . ▁They ▁had ▁come ▁to ▁America ▁to ▁escape ▁religious ▁per sec ution , ▁but ▁then ▁nearly ▁star ved ▁to ▁death . ▁Some ▁friendly ▁Native ▁Americans ▁( including ▁S qu anto ) ▁helped ▁the ▁Pil gr ims ▁surv ive ▁through ▁the ▁first ▁winter . ▁The ▁per se ver ance ▁of ▁the ▁Pil gr ims ▁is ▁celebrated ▁during ▁the ▁annual ▁Thanks g iving ▁festival . ▁ ▁Revolution ary ▁War ▁figures ▁ ▁George ▁Washington ▁George ▁Washington ▁( F ebru ary ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 7 3 2 ▁– ▁December ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 7 9 9 ), ▁the ▁country ' s ▁first ▁president , ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁pre em inent ▁of ▁American ▁historical ▁and ▁folk lor ic ▁figures , ▁as ▁he ▁holds ▁the ▁place ▁of ▁" F ather ▁of ▁his ▁Country ". ▁Ap oc ry phal ▁stories ▁about ▁Washington ' s ▁child hood