The tradition introduced by European Americans of Thanksgiving as a time to focus on God and His blessings dates back well over four centuries in America. For example, such thanksgivings occurred in 1541 at Palo Duro Canyon, Texas with Coronado and 1,500 of his men; 1 in 1564 at St. Augustine, Florida with French Huguenot (Protestant) colonists; 2 in 1598 at El Paso, Texas with Juan de OƱate and his expedition; 3 in 1607 at Cape Henry, Virginia with the landing of the Jamestown settlers; 4 in 1619 at Berkeley Plantation, Virginia; 5 (and many other such celebrations). But it is primarily from the Pilgrim’s Thanksgiving celebration of 1621 that we derive the current tradition of Thanksgiving Day.
The Pilgrims set sail for America on September 6, 1620, and for two months braved the harsh elements of a storm-tossed sea. Upon disembarking at Plymouth Rock, they held a prayer service and then hastily began building shelters; however, unprepared for such a harsh New England winter, nearly half of them died before spring. 6 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 lived with the Pilgrims and accepted their Christian faith. Squanto 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.” 7
That summer,
the Pilgrims, still persevering in prayer and assisted by helpful
Indians, 8 reaped a bountiful harvest. 9 As Pilgrim Edward Winslow (later to become the Governor)
affirmed, “God be praised, we had a good increase of Indian corn”; “by the
goodness of God, we are…far from want.” 10 The grateful Pilgrims therefore declared a three-day feast
in December 1621 to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends 11 – America’s first Thanksgiving Festival. 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.
Picture in the Public Domain.