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The history of Thanksgiving has often been misrepresented in the course of U.S. history.  Some American history books even distorted the origin of Thanksgiving to the extent that they say that it was the Pilgrims who saved the Native Indians, and not the other way around.

In more recent times the history of Thanksgiving has been more adequately researched and delineated, but maybe we’ll never know what really occurred during that time when the Pilgrims arrived. After all, it was such a long time ago and none of us were there to see any of it. So, thankfully, there is a more objective overview of the history of Thanksgiving existing today.

Most people think of Thanksgiving as the time that the Pilgrims came to Plymouth Rock, and subsequently got together with the Native Indians and had a feast. Indeed, the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock in 1620 via a ship called the Mayflower.  They endured a terribly bitter winter in which many of the original passengers of the Mayflower perished.

Fortunately for the Pilgrims, the Native Indians helped the rest of them survive and then the year after, as a celebration, they were able to have a 3 day feast – This wasn’t necessarily the holiday that we now know as Thanksgiving, since it wasn’t celebrated annually yet, and it didn’t occur again in the next 5 years.

Another aspect that is documented about the history of Thanksgiving is in 1676, when the city of Charlestown celebrated the success of their community. The Native Americans did not participate in this celebration, and in fact, a large part of the celebration was due to the their triumph over the Natives, whom at that time they saw as enemies they had defeated.

Moving on a century, there was a Thanksgiving celebration in honor of defeating the British at Saratoga. Then in 1789 George Washington proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving, but many pther people including Thomas Jefferson opposed this proclamation. Finally, though, President Lincoln officially proclaimed Thanksgiving in 1863 after a lady magazine editor named Sarah Josepha Hale had campaigned for a
Thanksgiving holiday for over 40 years. Since then, Thanksgiving has become an annual event, although the date changed quite a few times before it settled on the 4th Thursday of November.

So, if you look back on the history of Thanksgiving, it’s quite fascinating to see how much the holiday has changed over time and how it came to be the occasion it is today. Back then, Thanksgiving feast happened as a result of specific events, but now it’s a regular treasured holiday in North America. It’s become a special time when we adorn our homes with decorations for Thanksgiving, and friends and family gather together to eat and give thanks and count our blessings.

3 Tips To Teach Kids About Thanksgiving History

Thanksgiving is such a special time. It’s a time to reflect on all the blessings in your life. All too often we focus on bad things and don’t take time out of our busy schedules to be thankful for our blessings.

How Thanksgiving Got Its Turkey

The history of Thanksgiving is much deeper than you think.

Thanksgiving History and Origins

From the Pilgrims first landing in the New World to their feast with the Indians, Thanksgiving’s history brings to realization the meaning behind this holiday.

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The holiday of Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to teach your kids not only American history, but also life’s lessons about thankfulness, giving, tolerance and humility that will serve them well for the remainder of their lives.

A great way to achieve this is to search for Thanksgiving costumes for your kids and let them play out the roles of the Pilgrims and the native Indians who saved them that first, harsh and brutal winter in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Although there were earlier documented “Thanksgivings”, the holiday itself has its roots in the harvest festivals of fall – the concept we are familiar of today, of a specific American Thanksgiving feast, came from the Pilgrims of Plymouth Plantation in 1621.

The first pastor of Plymouth Plantation, William Bradford, wrote in his memoir Of the Plymouth Plantation…

“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 exercised 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 a meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to the 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’s an idea for a Thanksgiving costume – you could dress up as William Bradford, the Pilgrims‘ pastor, and read from a book about that famous winter. Dressing up in a Pilgrim costume would fit really well into the theme of the Thanksgiving feast.

The other important part to the history of Thanksgiving in America, is the role of Squanto, the Patuxent Indian lived with the Wampanoag Indians, and who taught the Pilgrims how to catch eel and grow corn and was an interpreter for them (Squanto had learned to speak English as a slave in Europe). Thanksgiving costumes that represent Squanto, or are native Indian themed costumes, are easy to find online or in stores.

And, if none of that suits you, there’s always the most traditional of Thanksgiving costumes, the big turkey costume! Go that extra mile this year, beyond the lavish turkey dinner, the colorful Thanksgiving decorations, and dress up in Thanksgiving costumes, it will help to remind everyone the origins of one of our treasured and important holidays.

Affiliate Disclosure: It is advisable to assume that any mention of a product or service on this website is made because there exist, unless otherwise stated, a material connection between the product or service owners and this website and should you make a purchase of a product or service described here the owner of this website may be compensated.  To learn more, please click here.

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