Saints and Strangers is a story that goes beyond the familiar historical history of Thanksgiving Day and the founding of the Plymouth plantation, revealing the trials and tribulations of Plymouth settlers: 102 men, women and children who sailed on a chartered ship for a place in who had never seen it. r n r nOf this group, half of us consider ourselves as pilgrims or saints, religious separatists who have given up their previous lives for one reason only: religious freedom. The other half, the merchant adventurers – called aliens – had less spiritual and more material goals in the real world. This clash of values created complex internal struggles for the group as they sought to establish a new colony, enriched by a complicated relationship with local American tribes. The conflicting allegiances between these groups have culminated in attempts at assimilation, faith and compromise that continue to define our nation to this day.