Nov 27, 2024

The True Origins and Complex History of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a holiday deeply embedded in American culture, celebrated with gatherings with family and friends, feasts, and local traditions. But while the modern version of Thanksgiving involves turkey, sweet potato or pumpkin pie, parades and football, the true origins of the holiday are more complex—and less about a simple feast of peace between Native Americans and Pilgrims than most might realize. To understand the roots of Thanksgiving, it's important to take a closer look at its historical context, its evolution over time, and the differing perspectives on its meaning.

The 1621 Feast: Not the First Thanksgiving

The most commonly cited event in the origin story of Thanksgiving is the 1621 feast shared between the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony and the Wampanoag people. This event, often romanticized as the "First Thanksgiving," was certainly a feast, but it was not an annual tradition, nor was it primarily focused on giving thanks in the way we understand the holiday today.

The Pilgrims, who were blown off course, had arrived in Plymouth, Mass. Confined to the ship for most of the winter, many Pilgrims died from disease. In December 1620, the Pilgrims were struggling to survive the harsh New England winter but survived due to the help from the Indigenous Patuxet people, who belonged to the larger Wampanoag nation. The Patuxet taught the Pilgrims how to endure the harsh weather conditions, fish, and plant local crops such as corn, beans and squash.

By the fall of 1621, after a successful harvest, the Pilgrims invited their Wampanoag neighbors to join them in celebration. The Wampanoag, led by Chief Massasoit, brought food, including venison, and shared knowledge of local crops and hunting techniques.

Though it was a time of cooperation and mutual assistance, the gathering in 1621 was not an official holiday or annual event. According to the History Channel, along with venison and wildfowl, "local vegetables that likely appeared on the table include onions, beans, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, carrots and perhaps peas. Corn, which records show was plentiful at the first harvest, might also have been served, but not in the way most people enjoy it now. In those days, the corn would have been removed from the cob and turned into cornmeal, which was then boiled and pounded into a thick corn mush or porridge that was occasionally sweetened with molasses." Importantly, while this event was a time of camaraderie, it did not mark the beginning of a long-standing relationship between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag. Tensions between the two groups would later escalate, culminating in conflict and tragedy.

Early Celebrations of Thanksgiving

The concept of giving thanks for a bountiful harvest was not unique to the Pilgrims. In fact, similar harvest celebrations were common among European settlers and Indigenous peoples long before 1621. The idea of a day of thanks often centered on gratitude for survival and abundance.

The first official days of thanksgiving in the American colonies were proclaimed by various religious leaders. These were often days of prayer and fasting, calling for gratitude to God for good harvests, but also for relief from hardship. The first recorded official Thanksgiving in what is now the United States occurred in 1619 in Virginia. The English settlers of Berkeley Hundred, near present-day Richmond, declared that the day of arrival of the ship *Margaret* should be observed as a day of Thanksgiving.

In New England, the Pilgrims themselves celebrated several days of thanksgiving after 1621, but these were typically religious observances rather than festive feasts. Days of thanksgiving were declared intermittently after times of hardship or success, such as after a good harvest or following military victories, much like similar traditions in Europe.

The Pilgrims and the Wampanoag: A More Complex Relationship

The relationship between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag was a complicated one. The 1621 feast did not mark a long-lasting alliance, but rather a brief moment of peace and cooperation amidst a broader history of tension and conflict. For a time, the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag maintained a fragile truce, with the Wampanoag providing assistance to the settlers in exchange for their own protection against rival tribes.

However, as more settlers arrived and colonization efforts expanded, the relationship soured. The Wampanoag, like many other Native American groups, began to suffer from the encroachment of European settlers on their land, the spread of disease brought by Europeans, and the imposition of foreign social and economic systems. By the 1670s, this led to King Philip's War (1675–1676), a brutal conflict between the Wampanoag and the English settlers, which ended in the decimation of the Wampanoag population and a deeper division between the two groups.

For many Native Americans, the arrival of Europeans and the expansion of colonial settlements meant displacement, loss of life, and the erosion of their way of life. As such, the Thanksgiving holiday, celebrated with gratitude by many Americans, can be a painful reminder of a dark period in history for Native communities.

The Evolution of Thanksgiving

The modern-day Thanksgiving we celebrate today—marked by a national holiday of feasting, football, and family gatherings—did not emerge until much later. In the 19th century, the holiday began to take on a more uniform shape, influenced by writers, politicians, and changing cultural ideals.

One of the key figures in establishing Thanksgiving as a national holiday was Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor of *Godey’s Lady’s Book*, a popular women’s magazine of the time. For decades, Hale campaigned for the establishment of a national Thanksgiving holiday, arguing that it could serve as a unifying force for a divided nation. She lobbied presidents, including Abraham Lincoln, to make Thanksgiving an official holiday.

In 1863, during the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln finally proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday, scheduling it for the final Thursday in November. Lincoln’s decision was partly an attempt to heal the divisions within the country by creating a day of shared gratitude.

Thanksgiving in the 20th Century and Beyond

The tradition of Thanksgiving grew in the 20th century, particularly with the establishment of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924 and the rise of Thanksgiving football games. Thanksgiving became more secularized, shifting away from religious observances and focused primarily on family gatherings and feasts. The consumption of turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce became staples of the meal, and the holiday became synonymous with family and gratitude.

Yet, for Native Americans, Thanksgiving has often been a reminder of the painful legacy of colonization. Many Native American groups, including the United American Indians of New England, observe the fourth Thursday in November as a Day of Mourning. They use the day to reflect on the genocide, forced relocation, and cultural assimilation that followed the arrival of Europeans in the Americas. For them, Thanksgiving is not just a time of reflection, but also a call to address the continuing issues of injustice and inequality faced by Indigenous communities.

A Day of Gratitude and Reflection

The origins of Thanksgiving are far more complex than the simple story of Pilgrims and Native Americans coming together in harmony. While the 1621 feast in Plymouth was an important moment in the history of early American colonization, it was only one of many harvest celebrations and thanksgivings that took place across the colonies. The broader history of Thanksgiving involves both cooperation and conflict, survival and suffering, and a reluctant nation coming to terms with its diverse history.

Today, Thanksgiving is a time for many to gather with family and friends to give thanks for their blessings. But it is also an opportunity to reflect on the history behind the holiday—recognizing both its cultural significance and its painful legacies. As we celebrate, it is important to honor the experiences of all Americans, including the Indigenous peoples whose history and perspectives are an essential part of this nation's story.

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