Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving all!

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The First Thanksgiving

The tradition of the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving is steeped in myth and legend.  Few people realize that the Pilgrims did not celebrate Thanksgiving the next year, or any year thereafter, though some of their descendants later made a "Forefather's Day" that usually occurred on December 21 or 22.  Several Presidents, including George Washington, made one-time Thanksgiving holidays.  In 1827, Mrs. Sarah Josepha Hale began lobbying several Presidents for the instatement of Thanksgiving as a national holiday, but her lobbying was unsuccessful until 1863 when Abraham Lincoln finally made it a national holiday with his 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation.

Today, our Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November.  This was set by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 (approved by Congress in 1941), who changed it from Abraham Lincoln's designation as the last Thursday in November (which could occasionally end up being the fifth Thursday and hence too close to Christmas for businesses).  But the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving began at some unknown date between September 21 and November 9, most likely in very early October.  The date of Thanksgiving was probably set by Lincoln to somewhat correlate with the anchoring of the Mayflower at Cape Cod, which occurred on November 21, 1620 (by our modern Gregorian calendar--it was November 11 to the Pilgrims who used the Julian calendar).

There are only two contemporary accounts of the 1621 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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Our corn [i.e. wheat] did prove well, and God be praised, we       had a good increase of Indian corn, and our barley indifferent good, but       our peas not worth the gathering, for we feared they were too late sown.        They came up very well, and blossomed, but the sun parched them in       the blossom.  Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men       on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after       we had gathered the fruit of our labors.  They four in one day killed       as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week.        At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many       of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king       Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted,       and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation       and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others.  And       although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet       by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers       of our plenty.

 

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The second description was written about twenty years after the fact by William Bradford in his History Of Plymouth Plantation.  Bradford's History was rediscovered in 1854 after having been taken by British looters during the Revolutionary War.  Its discovery prompted a greater American interest in the history of the Pilgrims, which eventually led to Lincoln's decision to make Thanksgiving a holiday.  It is also in this account that the Thanksgiving turkey tradition is founded.

 

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They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit       up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in       health and strength and had all things in good plenty.  For as some       were thus employed in affairs abroad, others were exercising in fishing,       about cod and bass and other fish, of which they took good store, of which       every family had their portion.  All the summer there was no want; and       now began to come in store of fowl, as winter approached, of which this place       did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees).  And       besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took       many, besides venison, etc.  Besides they had about a peck of meal a       week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to that proportion.        Which made many afterwards write so largely of their plenty here to       their friends in England, which were not feigned but true reports.

The NeoCon Command Center has some great stranger than fiction turkey stories.

Woman Honor Thyself  gives credit where credit is due.

Always on Watch has Abe Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation.

Stop the ACLU and Church and State have open trackbacks.

Michelle Malkin: What Journalists should be thankful for.

Comments

[Always On Watch]

At my site, I posted, in its entirely, the 1863 proclamation penned by Abraham Lincoln. I just love that document! Our 16th President made it crystal clear the Hand which provides our innumerable blessings.

Kevin, may you have a blessed Thanksgiving!

[Angel]

Happy Thanksgiving Kevin!!:)

[kevin]

You too Angel :)

[Brooke]

Happy Thanksgiving, Kevin!

[kevin]

Thanks Brooke, I hope you had a good one too.