This Land

When the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth 400 years ago, they did not settle on vacant land—they settled on the land of the various Wampanoag peoples. The New World provided opportunities to many of those who came here, but those opportunities cost the lives of millions of people already inhabiting this land. Centuries later, the Wampanoag peoples are still fighting for the small piece of land they have left.

Time and time again, people have been conquered and land has been taken — in the name of exploration, war, and religious conquest. Today, America is known as a land of opportunity, the land of the free and the home of the brave. As we recognize the country and what it has become, Boston Children’s Chorus examines these claims and explores what it means to say, “this land was made for you and me.