The Historical Thanksgiving

The First Thanksgiving (1914) by Jennie Augusta Brownscombe [1850-1936]

What does Thanksgiving mean to you? It might a chance to travel, meet family and friends; a day off work; a wide array of food that might not ordinarily grace your table; a legitimate reason for an afternoon nap; a day out of school. After all, this is a day proclaimed by Lincoln, adjusted (or an attempted adjustment) by Franklin Roosevelt, the recipient of Presidential Proclamations, and is now an established part of the American culture.

Considering all of the misconceptions on Thanksgiving history, we need to look back through history at the origins of Thanksgiving in the English American colonies. The Pilgrims, an English religious group of dissenters known as the Separatists who had fled to Holland, opted to leave their exile in Holland and to sail to the new lands in America. The reason for the move, as explained in my 1899 US History book (The Greater Republic: A History of the United States by Charles Morris), was that they “decided to make their homes in the New World, where they could worship God as their consciences dictated.” From this group came the Mayflower Compact, the first settlements in what became New England, and an event that we eventually called Thanksgiving.

The Events (the short version):

The Pilgrims arrived in the New World in December 1620. Times were difficult. A bitter cold winter descended on the small band before the settlement homes could be completed. During that first winter of 1620 – 1621, almost half of the settlers died, with many others being sick and weakened by fever and dysentery. Emerging from that grueling winter, the Pilgrims were surprised when an Indian named Samoset approached them and greeted them in their own language, explaining to them that he had learned English from fishermen and traders. A week later, Samoset returned with a friend named Squanto, who had a better command of the English language, having been captured and sold to the Spanish as a young man, then escaped to England, finally returning to his homeland on an English vessel. Squanto would live with the Pilgrims and accept their Christian faith. He taught the Pilgrims much about how to live in the New World, and he and Samoset helped forge a long-lasting peace treaty between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians. Pilgrim Governor William Bradford described Squanto as “a special instrument sent of God for [our] good . . . and never left [us] till he died.”

Historian David Barton writes: “That summer, the Pilgrims, still persevering in prayer and assisted by helpful Indians, reaped a bountiful harvest. As Pilgrim Edward Winslow (later to become the Governor) affirmed, “God be praised, we had a good increase of corn”; “by the goodness of God, we are far from want.” The grateful Pilgrims therefore declared a three-day feast in December 1621 to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends. Ninety Wampanoag Indians joined the fifty Pilgrims for three days of feasting (which included shellfish, lobsters, turkey, corn bread, berries, deer, and other foods), of play (the young Pilgrim and Wampanoag men engaged in races, wrestling matches, and athletic events), and of prayer. This celebration and its accompanying activities were the origin of the holiday that Americans now celebrate each November.”

There are only two primary resource accounts of this first Thanksgiving festival:

Edward Winslow, Mourt's Relation : (In the original 17th century spelling)

"our harvest being gotten in, our governour sent foure men on fowling, that
so we might after a speciall manner rejoyce together, after we had gathered the
fruits of our labours ; they foure in one day killed as much fowle, as with a
little helpe beside, served the Company almost a weeke, at which time amongst
other Recreations, we exercised our Armes, many of the Indians coming amongst
us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoyt, with some ninetie men,
whom for three dayes we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed
five Deere, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our Governour,
and upon the Captaine and others. And although it be not always so
plentifull, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are
so farre from want, that we often wish you partakers of our
plentie."

William Bradford, Of Plimoth Plantation: (In the original 17th century spelling)

"They begane now to gather in ye small harvest they had, and to fitte up
their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health
& strenght, and had all things in good plenty; fFor as some were thus
imployed in affairs abroad, others were excersised in fishing, aboute codd,
& bass, & other fish, of which yey tooke good store, of which every
family had their portion. All ye somer ther was no want. And now begane to
come in store of foule, as winter approached, of which this place did abound
when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees). And besids
water foule, ther was great store of wild Turkies, of which they tooke many,
besids venison, &c. Besids, they had about a peck a meale a weeke to a
person, or now since harvest, Indean corn to yt proportion. Which made
many afterwards write so largly of their plenty hear to their freinds in
England, which were not fained, but true reports."

The Rest of the Story (from historian David Barton):

“However, while the Pilgrims enjoyed times of prosperity for which they thanked God, they also suffered extreme hardships. In fact, in 1623 they experienced an extended and prolonged drought. Knowing that without a change in the weather there would be no harvest and the winter would be filled with death and starvation, Governor Bradford called the Pilgrims to a time of prayer and fasting to seek God’s direct intervention. Significantly, shortly after that time of prayer – and to the great amazement of the Indian who witnessed the scene – clouds appeared in the sky and a gentle and steady rain began to fall. As Governor Bradford explained:

It came without either wind or thunder or any violence, and by degrees in
abundance, as that ye earth was thoroughly wet and soaked therewith, which did
so apparently revive and quicken ye decayed corn and other fruits as was
wonderful to see, and made ye Indians astonished to behold; and afterwards the
Lord sent them such seasonable showers, with interchange of fair warm weather
as, through His blessing, caused a fruitful and liberal harvest, to their no
small comfort and rejoicing.

The drought had been broken; the fall therefore produced an abundant harvest; there was cause for another thanksgiving. The Pilgrim practice of designating an official time of Thanksgiving spread into neighboring colonies and became an annual tradition.”

Essential questions: What do today’s history books use as the historic interpretation of Thanksgiving? Is the religious heritage of the Pilgrims mentioned, or is it just a ‘thank you’ feast for friendly Indians? How do we, as teaching historians, insure that historical accuracy is being maintained in our classrooms?