Happy Thanksgiving

First Thanksgiving Attributed To Indians,
not the Pilgrims!

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What We Know!

Many history books say the Pilgrims held the first Thanksgiving in the New World. They invited their Indian friends and all sat at crude wooden tables to eat great quantities of wonderful food. The Pilgrims, the books say, initiated the feast to thank God for a bountiful harvest. They invited their Indian neighbors to share in their good fortune.

Actually, it was the other way around-- Thanksgiving originated with the Indians. Most of the New England tribes held great festivals at the end of every growing season. During those feasts, the Indians asked their gods to grant them sustenance and health during the coming winter months. In fact, some historians believe the Indian Thanksgiving feasts began hundreds of years before any European arrived on these shores. The Pilgrims came ashore at Plymouth Rock in the fall of 1620 and their first winter was spent mostly in hunger.

They had little to eat, except for the wild game Capt. Miles Standish and his soldiers were able to procure. Although they knew that Indians lived all about them, the newcomers saw none until March 16, 1621. That’s when two Indians appeared on top of a nearby hill. They seemed to be beckoning to them. But when Capt. Standish and Stephen Hopkins went out to meet them, the Indians disappeared into the forest. That incident made many of the Pilgrims nervous.

A short time afterward, a group of them got together to discuss what they might need to defend the tiny settlement. Some of the men expressed concern for their safety because some tools, left out in a field, had been stolen. As they sat on benches talking among themselves, an Indian abruptly appeared. He came boldly among them and spoke in broken English. It was Samoset, a sagamore from the village of Pemaquid in eastern Maine.

“Welcome! Welcome, Englishmen!” he shouted as he strode into their midst. It was a cold day, but Samoset seemed not to notice. He was clad only in moccasins and a loincloth. On his left shoulder he carried a bow and an empty quiver. In his right hand he held two arrows--one was tipped with a stone point, the other had none. Samoset had learned a few English words from fishermen he had met on the Maine coast and so was able to communicate with the Englshmen.

He said he was visiting friends at the nearby Wampanoag village when he found out about the white men on the seacoast. The tall and amiable Indian spent most of the evening telling the Pilgrims about the various tribes that lived in the vicinity-their names, locations, number of warriors, and the names of their sachems (head men). It was priceless information. When Samoset left the next morning, the colonists gave him a knife, a bracelet and a ring. They also gave him a blanket to cover his bare shoulders. Samoset indicated he would come again soon and bring with him some members of the Wampanoag tribe. A few days later, Samoset returned. He was accompanied by two other men. One was Squanto, a Pautuxet warrior who spoke very good English, and Massasoit, the sachem of the Massachusetts branch of the Wampanoag tribe. A small contingent of warriors could be seen partially hidden in the nearby woods. Massasoit was described by Pilgrim chroniclers as “a very lusty man, in his best years, an able body, grave of countenance, and spare of speech. In his attire, little or nothing differing from the rest of his followers--only a great chain of white bone beads about his neck, and behind his neck hangs a little bag of tobacco which he drank and gave to drink; his face was painted ... red ... and oiled both head and face so that he looked greasily. “All his followers, likewise, were in their faces ... painted ... some black, some red, some yellow, and some white; some with crosses, and others antic works; some had skins on them, and some naked, all strong, tall--all men in appearance.”

The meeting between the Pilgrims and the Indians proved to be cordial and friendly. An innocuous query about the missing tools brought quick results because two days later they were returned. The Indians, the Pilgrims surmised, seemed determined to establish friendly relations with the white-faced strangers. Much to their relief, Squanto proved to be well versed in the English language. It was because he had spent nearly 15 years of his life in Europe. He told the Pilgrims that he was kidnapped by Captain George Weymouth in 1605 and taken to Spain as a slave. He was able to escape his Spanish masters and eventually made his way to England. There, with the help of a man named John Slanic, Squanto was able to buy passage on a ship that was sailing for New England. It was the winter of 1618-19. When he was landed, Squanto went in search of his village, only to find it deserted. Nothing was left of his people except their bones. The entire Pautuxet tribe had been wiped out by a smallpox epidemic the previous year. Squanto literally had become a man without a nation.

He eventually was able to associate himself with the Wampanoag tribe. With Squanto as his interpreter, Massasoit met with the Pilgrims often. On March 21, 1621, Squanto arranged the first of several meetings that eventually had far-reaching effects for the fledgling colony. According to the diary of Pilgrim William Bradford, Squanto, as interpreter for the Indians, was helpful because “he continued with them, was their interpreter, and was a special instrument sent of God for their good beyond their expectation. He directed them how to set their corn, where to take fish, and to procure other commodities.” Massasoit, as a gesture of his good will, helped the Pilgrims by introducing them to the native food available to them and new ways of planting crops. It is believed he was instrumental for initiating the first Thanksgiving feast sometime during that period.

Many of the food most people now take for granted were unknown to Europeans in the early 1620s. Take another look at the modern Thanksgiving table--almost all of the food there was originally cultivated by American Indians or is native to the Western Hemisphere. For example, corn, squash, pumpkins, strawberries, blueberries, maple syrup, beans, and various kinds of New World nuts. The colonists also savored the gamey flavors and tastes of fresh venison and turkey. Some other truly American food include potatoes (from Peru--not available in New England until 1719), pepper (from the West Indies), chili peppers, tomatoes , avocados, vanilla, and chocolate (all from Mexico), pineapples (from Central America), tapioca (from Brazil), chicle, or chewing gum (from the Yucatan). Even important crops like cotton, tobacco, and rubber, were first domesticated by Indians.

Squanto proved to be a real godsend for the Pilgrims. He more than once warned the white settlement of an impending attack by one or more of the hostile tribes in the area. One time, he discovered a plot by Caunbitat, a local chieftain who had allied himself with the powerful Narragansett tribe of the south. Caunbitat wanted the help of the Narragansetts to drive the English into the sea. Squanto tried to warn the colonists but the Indians captured him. Capt. Standish sent out a patrol to rescue him and the potential Indian uprising was thwarted. When more colonists arrived at Plymouth Plantation in the fall of 1622, feeding them all became a critical issue. The Pilgrims decided to sail one of their ships, the Swan, south into Narragansett Bay to trade with the Indians there for food. Squanto accompanied the small expedition as an interpreter.

The trading venture was successful and the Pilgrims acquired an ample supply of provisions to help them survive the winter. Just as the Swan was preparing to leave, however, Squanto fell “sick of an Indian fever.” The Pilgrims brought him back to Plymouth where they tried to bring him back to health, but he died early that winter. Squanto is still remembered today in Massachusetts because of the friendliness he exhibited. His help had been crucial for the survival of the tiny Plymouth colony. Without his aid, the Pilgrims probably would not have survived that first winter. And Americans would probably not be celebrating a Thanksgiving holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

* * *
First Thanksgiving Attributed To Indians, not the Pilgrims!
*By Richard W. Kimball*

What They Say!
Imagine a place where the government and the church are one and the same, the only religion allowed is the official church of the government, and anyone who dares to contradict the church (and state) is jailed or even executed. That was the the reality of England in the early 1600s, where the Church of England ruled with an iron hand. However, some people sought to break away from the Church of England to make religion simple and "pure" again –- free of government control. This group became known as the Puritans.
Although the Puritans tried to change the religious climate in England, it soon became clear that the church was too powerful to challenge. Hence, they sought other solutions that would allow them to practice religion in their chosen way. The New World offered that possibility, so the Puritans made plans to leave their homeland for America.
Two ships, the Speedwell and the Mayflower, were procured for the journey to the New World, and the Puritans gathered the possessions they'd need for their pilgrimage -– food, clothing, weapons, tools and seeds to plant crops once they were settled in their new home.
There were many delays, however, and the Speedwell was deemed not seaworthy for the perilous voyage. As a result, some Pilgrims, as they came to be known, stayed behind, while others crowded aboard the Mayflower -- setting off for the New World in September of 1620.
After an arduous, six-week journey, which some of the Pilgrims did not survive, the Mayflower landed at Plymouth, north of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Pilgrims set foot in the New World on December 11, 1620 -– finally free to practice their religion.
However, the dangers did not cease once the Pilgrims arrived in their new home. Due to the delays and the length of the voyage, they arrived just in time for winter, which was devastating to the settlers. Many became sick and died that season, and by the end of their first year in the New World, nearly half of those arriving on the Mayflower had not survived.
But even in these darkest of times, luck would shine on the Pilgrims. A Native Americans named Squanto befriended the settlement of Pilgrims. Having traveled to England with earlier English explorers, Squanto spoke English and understood the Puritans' customs. Along with other Native Americans, he taught the settlers how to survive in their harsh, new environment.
The Pilgrims, with help from their Native American friends, learned many new things. They found out which plants were poisonous, and which could be used to help fight sickness. They learned efficient hunting and fishing skills and discovered strange foods: corn, that grew well in the Northern soil; squash, including the large pumpkin; and a strange wild bird, the turkey.
Many of the seeds that the Pilgrims had brought to the New World would not grow in the rocky soil of their new home. However, with seeds and plants supplied by their Native American friends, the Pilgrims planted crops to see them through that first, hard year.
The fall harvest of 1621 was bountiful, a cause for celebration. To give thanks for the plentiful harvest and good fortune, the Pilgrims held a three-day feast, much like the traditional fall harvest feasts of their native England.
The 50 remaining Pilgrims and almost 100 Native Americans gathered for the feast. Captain Miles Standish, the leader of the Pilgrims, and Squanto attended this feast. Venison, wild turkey and other wild fowl were probably served, along with fish, plums, pumpkins, squash, corn, sweet potatoes, and cranberries from nearby bogs. Today's traditional Thanksgiving menu hasn't changed much from this original harvest feast.
Fall harvest celebrations became traditional for the settlers in New England. When things were going well, it was a common occurrence for New Englanders to proclaim a day of thanksgiving. People would gather at the meetinghouse to give thanks, and then share a meal with family, friends and neighbors. From this time of giving thanks, the holiday we now know as Thanksgiving evolved - a time to celebrate the year's blessings. But, it wasn't until 1676, when the town council of Charlestown, Massachusetts, declared a day of Thanksgiving, that the day was first formally recognized.
In October 1777, the Continental Congress declared the first national Thanksgiving celebration. All 13 colonies joined in the celebration. The last official celebration of Thanksgiving under the Continental Congress was in 1783. It was not until November 26, 1789, that President George Washington proclaimed that date as a day of Thanksgiving and prayer. However, no national Thanksgiving celebrations were declared from 1815 until the Civil War.
Thanksgiving became a symbolic holiday that focused on family values and the importance of home life. Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor and leader of the Domesticity Movement, spent much of her life working to make Thanksgiving a nationally recognized holiday. Her efforts were rewarded in 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving.

In 1939, as our nation was recovering from the Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed Thanksgiving to the third Thursday in November to create a longer holiday shopping season for the merchants. The change was not well received, with some families celebrating on the third Thursday, and others feasting on the fourth. President Roosevelt, however, relented and moved Thanksgiving back to its original date. On November 26, 1941, he signed a bill again establishing the fourth Thursday in November as the national Thanksgiving holiday.

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