Starting as early as preschool, American children are taught about the national American holiday of Thanksgiving. These small, impressionable humans are taught that the Pilgrims and the Native Americans worked together to produce plentiful crops, then celebrated the completed harvest and friendship with turkey and various pies. As the children grow older they learn that those who attend the first Thanksgiving did not eat “traditional” modern Thanksgiving meal, but more likely ate mussels with curds, deer, and a bowl of thick corn mush. The idea that is feast was in honor of the pilgrim’s friendship with the Natives still sticks around. Many people never question this fact or think about the hardships that the Natives had to go through once people had colonized America. Today there are many …show more content…
Squanto, a Native who had survived and escaped slavery in England and spoke that language, taught the saving Pilgrims how to grow corn, how to fish, and he created a peace treaty between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags (a Native tribe). At the end of the year the Pilgrims hosted a feast to honor Squanto and the Wampanoags. This feast is what we now call Thanksgiving. This is basically what is taught today as the “correct” version of how Thanksgiving went. Another version of the first Thanksgiving story is that near Groton, Connecticut in 1637 the Pequot Tribe had gathered. They gathered to celebrate their annual Green Corn Festival— our Thanksgiving. Before dawn the sleeping Natives were surrounded by English and Dutch settlers. The settlers ordered the tribe to come out of their longhouses. Those that came out were shot or clubbed to death and those that remained inside were burned alive. The next day a “Day of Thanksgiving” was declared by the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Area in celebration of the
The notion of the “First Thanksgiving” often taught to students have little to no historical merit. More often than not, theories that offer a plausible explanation to what occurred are often ignore because they desecrate the emotional attachments we have to our story of
In an article by Pleck (2011) it was claimed that the pilgrims did not have ruffled shirts, buckled shoes nor did they consume on turkey at the harvest feast that occurred in 1621. This may come as a shock to most because growing up we were taught to believe these along with other “facts” about the harvest feast that we come to know as the first thanksgiving. The pilgrims lost many of their people in the winter of 1620 due to lack of foraging knowledge. This led the colony to form a relationship with the Wampanoag tribe. They taught them how to fish as well as gather vegetables. This is thought to be common knowledge but as previously stated this may not be completely true after all. Pleck was not the only person to uncover the truth about the harvest feast of 1621. A director named Ellis (2010) made a documentary that confirms the feast
When I imagine “The First Thanksgiving”, I think of peace and harmony. Then my History complex comes in, I remember all of the rape, cannibalism, and disease spreading that happened in the years before “The First Thanksgiving” ruin my picture perfect scene. The Pilgrims did not have a farming aspect when they came to The New Colony but with the help of the Native Americans they learned how to survive. When I was younger we always were taught that this time, in history, everyone got along and they were happy. The Pilgrims came to have religious freedom and not to be treated as second class citizens. This is a notable act but they had various pathogens that they were immuned to but the Natives were not. Historians say that the pathogens that
During Thanksgiving Break this year, I went to Flagstaff, Arizona. That was the best memory because I can’t choose one specific one! :) I had so much fun in Arizona, and this is what I did.
Thanksgiving Holiday means so much to me. I love to celebrate that extended weekend with my family. On the eve of the big day, my cousins and I meet at an elder’s house and then the festivities began. This shared feast started in 1621 with the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians sharing a harvest feast ("Thanksgiving," 2016). A portion of the food can be prepared the day before. We decide who would handle what task and when it time clean up the second generation, always try to make the third generation do it. We then continue to cook and clean and reminisce of our past year. Sometimes we would bring up our childhood pranks and stories of family members that passed and present. On the day of Thanksgiving we finish cooking,
Early one November morning a woman stared at me with utter disbelief, tears of gratitude streaming down her cheeks."Thank you," she mouthed silently to me, clutching her son to her chest. I was proud knowing that, because of my efforts, her family and many more who struggle with poverty would be able to share a Thanksgiving meal. I knew that many children in my community would not be able to celebrate the holiday as others might because their parents could not afford to buy food items, and so as Vice President of a community service club called Interact, I was inspired to provide these children with a Thanksgiving dinner. The club officers and I sat crowded around our adviser's desk brainstorming how we would collect ingredients. We decided
In conclusion, the history of Thanksgiving dates back to 1621. It takes many years before it becomes a permanent national holiday for the American society. Throughout the years Americans have in cooperated new traditions as well as maintained the old. As O. Henry says, “There is one day that is ours. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely
A day before Thanksgiving in 1971 a guy that called himself Dan Cooper boarded the NorthWest Airlines on flight 305. He was in a wearing a dark suit with a black business-like tie. While Dan was in the airplane he opened a brief case and showed the flight attendant a bomb. When the plane landed in Seattle, Dan demanded $200,000 in cash, four parachutes, and food for the crew. He let the passengers off the plane but left three pilots and a flight attendant on board. The crew in the airplane headed South of Seattle while it was dark and drizzling. 45 minutes after takeoff Dan sent the flight attendant to the cockpit while he was putting on the parachute. Dan also tied the money to himself and lowered the back stairs and somewhere in Portland
Thanksgiving is a holiday when the whole family gets together and feast. In my family this is when all of my family members come together. The thing about my family is that we are like a broken family. Everyone doesn’t get along. So that causes a lot of problems on the table. My family is also outspoken and they like to start trouble. So that’s when the arguments start.
As Thanksgiving is being headed into I have multiple things to be thankful for in my life. I am very fortunate for everything in my existence. Many people don’t have the things I do. Citizens in Kenya and Africa and multiple other places live in small shacks and barely get enough to eat. Plus while we’ll be gorging ourselves tomorrow on this thankful holiday they will still only be getting about one small meal to eat. I’m not only thankful for a good source of food, but I have many other things I have to feel grateful for. One of these things being is my house and yard. I live on a lake which is a huge luxury for some people and I am very fortunate to have this. I also have a large yard filled with things to do. Another group i can be grateful
Henderson seniors can keep uplifted during the Thanksgiving season by attending a local holiday event. Participating in activities will help them cultivate new friendships, connect with their community and build their self-esteem. The following local Thanksgiving events older adults will thoroughly enjoy:
Thanksgiving is a holiday that is celebrated in America, but it has a fairly dark history to what most people know. Most people know that the Pilgrims came over to America on a boat called the mayflower and made friends with the Native Americans then they celebrated it and made this holiday. While this is somewhat true there is more to it than that. For example the Pilgrims may have came on a boat called the Mayflower, but it wasn’t to make friends with the Native Americans but to spread
Thanksgiving to me means family time and a chains to be thankful for all we have our family, our wonderful country, and all the things we are blessed to have. Every year we go to our Mimi’s and Papa’s for thanksgiving, it is my family, my Mimi and Papa, and my Uncle's family. As soon as you walk through the door you can smell the wonderful aroma of food, and when you walk into the kitchen you can see a table adorned with an abundant amount. Then we all gather around the table and pry as we thank god for all he has given use and then we get our plates so we can serve ourselves. While we are eating we have some comical conversations that makes us laugh, we also talk about what we have been doing.
The Pilgrims would go out in groups of 4 with a guide to hunt for turkey for Thanksgiving
At that point of my childhood, my family was unaware of American holidays and traditions since they barely settled in The United States. One of the holidays that were a major topic of discussion in American schools was Thanksgiving. When I was in elementary, teachers would make students draw turkeys, color turkeys, and play games that featured turkeys. I did not comprehend what Thanksgiving was truly about as a child, but I did know that it was “turkey day,” meaning that on Thanksgiving I was supposed to eat a turkey with my family just like the rest of my peers said they would.