Thanksgiving is almost here! Most people probably think of this holiday as a break from school and a chance to eat cranberry sauce. But no one ever seems to wonder about the history of Thanksgiving. You’ve probably heard about the holiday’s history in Social Studies, about the Pilgrims making peace with the Native Americans.
But is this the true story behind this special Thursday?
Long before America was discovered and colonized, the people native to the land lived stable lives and had their own culture, language, and tribes. The natives had lived in peace in America for many, many generations before the first settlers from the other continents.
A particular group of settlers, known commonly as the Pilgrims, journeyed to America from England in 1620 in search of religious freedom. They traveled aboard the famous ship the Mayflower. The Pilgrims had not originally planned to dock in modern-day Massachusetts, but poor weather conditions forced them to dock around where Cape Cod is located.
According to the Kids’ National Geographic History of Thanksgiving site, in preparation for winter, the passengers aboard the Mayflower gathered supplies, including supplies they found that belonged to the Native American tribe known as the Wampanoag, who were living in that area.
According to the source, a Wampanoag known as Squanto had experience with other settlers and happily helped the Pilgrims with farming. After many meetings between the two groups, they formed an alliance in March 1621.
But all these events are leading up to the famous first Thanksgiving feast that Fall, when four settlers went out to hunt food for a celebration. The Wompanoag heard the gunshots, and, fearing the settlers might be preparing for war, a group of men went to investigate the situation.
Upon realization that the settlers were only preparing food for a feast, the Native Americans set out to hunt food for the feast. Together, the Natives and the English feasted and celebrated for 3 days. And, according to the source, that is the story of the First Thanksgiving.
However, other sources suggest the holiday has a darker, more complicated history.
I read from another article that states that the story of Thanksgiving is often told from the perspective of the Pilgrims, leading to a one-sided look at the holiday’s history. The text suggests that when the Mayflower arrived, its passengers carried many diseases, which spread to the Natives, killing them at very high rates. Their populations dwindled, making it easier for settlers to claim the Natives’ land. Also, the settlers did, after some time, kidnap the Natives and sell them as slaves.
The article also points out that the Europeans didn’t actually invite the Natives to the legendary first Thanksgiving feast. They showed up when they heard the gunshot, thinking the Pilgrims were declaring war. When they found out what was actually happening they did feast for 3 days, but it wasn’t exactly a heart-warming event held to celebrate gratitude, as we’re often told.
After the feast, the text suggests that the story takes a dark turn. The Pilgrims continued celebrating Thanksgiving in their traditional method of feasting and praying. They didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving as a holiday, but rather as a celebration they would hold when something good happened to their people, including after the murder of many Natives, as time went on.
There are many other takes on Thanksgiving all branching off from the story, and our understanding of the first Thanksgiving has been altered over time. We may never know the true, undeniable story, because maybe there isn’t one.
Thanksgiving’s origins include lots of opinion, bias, and perspective. There isn’t exact one solid answer for the question: What is the true history of Thanksgiving?
Sources:
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/first-thanksgiving
https://www.delish.com/holiday-recipes/a33984895/native-american-thanksgiving-holiday/
