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This Week, Some History of the Pilgrims!

The Celebration Of Thanks

I am only aware of two contemporary accounts of the 1621 Thanksgiving: The first is that of Edward Winslow’s account, which he wrote in a letter dated December 12, 1621. The complete letter was first published in 1622.

Our corn [i.e. wheat] did prove well, and God be praised, we had a good increase of Indian corn, and our barley indifferent good, but our peas not worth the gathering, for we feared they were too late sown. They came up very well, and blossomed, but the sun parched them in the blossom. Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.

The second description is said to have been written about twenty years after the fact by William Bradford in his History Of Plymouth Plantation. It is also in this account that the Thanksgiving turkey tradition is founded.

They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. For as some were thus employed in affairs abroad, others were exercising in fishing, about cod and bass and other fish, of which they took good store, of which every family had their portion. All the summer there was no want; and now began to come in store of fowl, as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees). And besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc. Besides they had about a peck of meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to that proportion. Which made many afterwards write so largely of their plenty here to their friends in England, which were not feigned but true reports.

There were of course, more than likely, others items in addtion to those items listed in the above accounts eaten at that celebration of thanks. There are items that are known to have been native to the area and eaten by the Pilgrims. That would include clams, mussels, lobster, eel, ground nuts, acorns, walnuts, chestnuts, squash, and beans. We cannot know for sure, but any of those items could have been a part of the food.

Some believe that the the Pilgrims may have had some chickens with them, and therefore had access to a limited number of eggs. They did not have any goats or cattle. Records indicate that the first of those arrived on the ship Anne in 1623.

And what About Sweet Potatoes And “Popcorn?”

Some tradtions say that the Indians introduced the Pilgrims to popcorn at this Thanksgiving: but sources say that the Indian corn they grew was of the Northern Flint variety, which does not pop very well. It was parched to make a simple snack, and the Indians sometimes ground it up and mixed it with strawberries for a kind of desert. Potatoes and sweet potatoes had not yet been introduced to New England.

Historians say that the Native Americans traditionally celebrated a harvest festival. The Pilgrims invited Massasoit, who it is said came with 90 of his people. His hunters contributed five deer to the celebration. Some report that this “first Thanksgiving” lasted almost a week. During that time there were prayers, dances, shooting matches, wrestling, and other games.

Have A Very Wonderful Thanksgiving!