The History of
Thanksgiving |
September 6, 1620, a small group of brave men,
women, and children left Plymouth, England,
seeking a new homeland where they could
worship God as they pleased.
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It wasn't long before the Speedwell developed a
leak and was forced to return to England. But
the Mayflower continued its courageous voyage
across the ocean. Finally, two months later,
the Mayflower landed at Provincetown,
Massachusetts on November 11, 1620. The
colonists left the ships and continued on to
found their settlement in Plymouth,
Massachusetts.
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The first winter was very harsh. It was terribly
cold and there were not enough supplies or food.
The colonists had not had time to build
adequate shelters before winter conditions set in.
Many colonists died that first winter.
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In the spring, the Wampanoag Indians befriended
the Pilgrims and came to their settlement to
help them plant wheat, as well as corn, beans,
pumpkins, and other vegetables. They also taught
them ways to survive and hunt in this new land.
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In the fall of 1621, the crops were ready for
harvest and it looked as if there would be enough
food to last the winter. The Pilgrims decided
to celebrate by giving a harvest party. They
invited the Wampanoag Indians to join them.
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There were not enough tables and chairs, so
some had to sit on the ground. Their plates
were made of wood and not all of the people had
silverware. The children played together, racing,
wrestling, and dressing homemade cornhusk dolls.
The typical American Thanksgiving dinner includes
turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, a sweet potato
dish, a dish of beans, and a pumpkin pie.
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The food was plentiful. The Indians brought
five deer as gifts to their hosts. The Pilgrims
served corn, beans, stewed pumpkins, corn cakes,
berries and nuts gathered from the woods,
succotash, and frumenty (a dish of wheat boiled
in milk). They also served roast goose, deer,
turkey, duck and fish. The children helped by
turning the meat on the spit over the fire.
There are only two
contemporary accounts of the First Thanksgiving:
First is Edward Winslow's account, which he
wrote in a letter dated December 12, 1621. The
complete letter was first published in 1622, and is
chapter 6 of Mourt's Relation:
A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth.
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The First Thanksgiving Proclamation
On June 20, 1676, the governing council of
Charlestown, Massachusetts, held a meeting
to determine how best to express thanks for
the good fortune that had seen their community
securely established. By unanimous vote they
instructed Edward Rawson, the clerk, to proclaim
June 29 as a day of thanksgiving, our first.
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Although the Pilgrims certainly did have much to
be thankful for, at that time they believed
that religious ceremonies should be held at a
separate time and place, away from feasts,
celebrations, or parties. The religious theme
was added to Thanksgiving later on.
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After that first celebration, Thanksgiving
was held on many different dates and days. In
1863, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last
Thursday in November as "a day of thanksgiving
and praise to our beneficient Father". Then,
in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt set
the date one week earlier to lengthen the
shopping period before Christmas. Finally, in
1941, the fourth Thursday of November was set
by Congress as the federal holiday of
Thanksgiving.
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© 1998 - 2008 by Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman
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