In autumn 1621, 52 English Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Native Americans gathered at Plymouth Colony for a three-day harvest festival, marking what would become known as the First Thanksgiving in American history.
The origins of America's beloved Thanksgiving tradition can be traced back to 1621 when English Pilgrims and members of the Wampanoag tribe gathered for a three-day harvest celebration. This historic feast took place in Plymouth Colony Massachusetts and marked the Pilgrims' first successful harvest in the New World.
While many Americans consider this 1621 gathering the first Thanksgiving it's worth noting that harvest celebrations weren't unique to the Pilgrims. Native American tribes had long-established traditions of giving thanks for bountiful harvests and European settlers in other regions held similar festivities. In fact some historians point to earlier celebrations in areas like Virginia and Florida that could challenge Plymouth's claim as the site of America's first Thanksgiving.
The Origins Of The 1621 Plymouth Thanksgiving
#The 1621 Plymouth Thanksgiving emerged from the interaction between English Pilgrims and Wampanoag Native Americans in present-day Massachusetts. This historic gathering marked a temporary period of cooperation between the two groups.
The Pilgrims' Arrival At Plymouth
#The Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock in December 1620 with 102 passengers seeking religious freedom. The first winter proved devastating, with only 52 of the original Pilgrims surviving due to harsh conditions, disease, and insufficient food supplies. The survivors established Plymouth Colony and learned essential farming techniques from local Native Americans during the spring of 1621.
| Plymouth Colony Statistics 1620-1621 | |
|---|---|
| Initial Mayflower Passengers | 102 |
| Survivors by Spring 1621 | 52 |
| Days of First Thanksgiving Feast | 3 |
| Native American Participants | 90 |
| English Colonist Participants | 52 |
The Role Of Native Americans
#The Wampanoag people, led by Massasoit, formed a crucial alliance with Plymouth Colony in March 1621. Squanto, a Patuxet Native American, taught the Pilgrims:
- Planting corn using fish as fertilizer
- Identifying edible plants native to the region
- Fishing in local waters
- Hunting regional game
The Wampanoag contributed five deer, waterfowl, fish, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, and squash to the harvest celebration. Their 90 warriors participated in the three-day feast, demonstrating diplomatic relations through shared meals, military demonstrations, and recreational activities.
The First Official Thanksgiving Celebration
#The first documented Thanksgiving celebration took place in autumn 1621 at Plymouth Colony, lasting three days. The event marked a successful harvest season and united 52 English colonists with approximately 90 Wampanoag Native Americans in a shared feast.
The Three-Day Harvest Festival
#The harvest festival began in late September or early October 1621, following English harvest traditions. Governor William Bradford organized the celebration after the colonists gathered their first successful corn harvest. The Wampanoag, led by Chief Massasoit, arrived at the colony with deer, waterfowl game meat. Four colonial men hunted wild fowl for the feast, while the Wampanoag warriors demonstrated their bow hunting skills during the festivities.
Traditional Foods And Activities
#The 1621 Thanksgiving feast featured a diverse menu combining New World ingredients with English cooking methods:
| Food Category | Menu Items |
|---|---|
| Meat & Game | Wild turkey, venison, waterfowl, fish |
| Vegetables | Corn, squash, onions, beans |
| Seafood | Lobster, mussels, cod |
| Native Foods | Pumpkins, cranberries, chestnuts |
- Military demonstrations by both Pilgrim settlers and Wampanoag warriors
- Competitive games between the colonists and Native Americans
- Diplomatic meetings between colonial leaders and Wampanoag chiefs
- Communal preparation of food by both English and Native American women
- Prayer services led by Pilgrim elders
- Singing of psalms and traditional English harvest songs
Earlier Thanksgiving Celebrations In America
#Historical records reveal several thanksgiving celebrations that predate the Plymouth feast of 1621. These earlier observances challenge the traditional narrative of the first Thanksgiving and highlight the diverse cultural origins of harvest celebrations in colonial America.
Spanish Celebrations In Florida (1565)
#The first documented thanksgiving celebration in North America occurred in St. Augustine, Florida, on September 8, 1565. Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés led 800 Spanish settlers in a Catholic mass of thanksgiving followed by a feast with the native Timucua people. The menu featured Spanish wine, cocido (a traditional Spanish stew) mixed with local seafood provided by the Timucua.
English Celebrations In Virginia (1619)
#Berkeley Hundred plantation in Virginia held a thanksgiving ceremony on December 4, 1619, marking another significant early celebration. The colony's charter required the settlement's 38 English settlers to commemorate their safe arrival with an annual "day of thanksgiving." This observance was strictly religious, focusing on prayer rather than feasting or celebrating with Native Americans. The Berkeley celebration continued annually until 1622 when conflict with local tribes forced the colonists to abandon the settlement.
| Location | Date | Participants | Type of Celebration |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Augustine, FL | Sept 8, 1565 | 800 Spanish settlers + Timucua | Catholic mass + feast |
| Berkeley Hundred, VA | Dec 4, 1619 | 38 English settlers | Religious ceremony |
| Plymouth, MA | Fall 1621 | 52 Pilgrims + 90 Wampanoag | Harvest festival + feast |
How The Plymouth Celebration Became America's First Thanksgiving
#The Plymouth celebration's designation as America's first Thanksgiving emerged through a complex historical process spanning several centuries. Its recognition as the nation's founding Thanksgiving story took shape through both documented accounts and evolving cultural narratives.
The Historical Record
#William Bradford's journal "Of Plymouth Plantation" provided the primary historical account of the 1621 celebration, with additional details from Edward Winslow's letter published in "Mourt's Relation." These early records remained largely forgotten until 1841 when Alexander Young published "Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers," annotating Winslow's account as "the first Thanksgiving." Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey's Lady's Book, launched a 36-year campaign advocating for Thanksgiving as a national holiday, consistently promoting the Plymouth celebration as its origin story.
Historical milestones in establishing the Plymouth narrative:
- 1841: Alexander Young's publication first labels the event as "First Thanksgiving"
- 1863: President Abraham Lincoln establishes Thanksgiving as a national holiday
- 1890s: Public schools adopt the Plymouth story in standard curricula
- 1920s: The Pilgrims become central figures in Thanksgiving pageants
Modern Historical Perspectives
#Contemporary historians emphasize the complexity of the Plymouth Thanksgiving narrative through multiple lenses. Archaeological evidence from the Plymouth site reveals a more nuanced picture of the 1621 celebration than traditional accounts suggest. Recent scholarship identifies key factors that elevated Plymouth's status:
| Contributing Factors | Impact on Historical Narrative |
|---|---|
| Geographic Location | New England's cultural influence |
| Documentation | Preserved primary sources |
| Political Timing | Civil War unity symbolism |
| Cultural Appeal | Religious freedom narrative |
- Detailed contemporary documentation
- Cross-cultural participation
- Extended celebration duration
- Diplomatic significance
- Harvest festival elements
- Religious undertones
The Evolution Into A National Holiday
#The transformation of Thanksgiving into a national holiday spans decades of advocacy and political developments. The holiday's formalization emerged through presidential proclamations and legislative actions that standardized its celebration across the United States.
President Lincoln's Proclamation
#President Abraham Lincoln issued a formal Thanksgiving Proclamation on October 3, 1863, declaring the last Thursday of November as a national day of thanksgiving. Secretary of State William Seward drafted the proclamation amid the Civil War, positioning the holiday as a unifying force for a divided nation. The proclamation emphasized gratitude for military victories, abundant harvests, industrial growth, expanding frontiers and called for healing the nation's wounds.
| Key Elements of Lincoln's Proclamation |
|---|
| Date Issued: October 3, 1863 |
| Designated Day: Last Thursday of November |
| Primary Author: William Seward |
| Focus Areas: National Unity, Gratitude |
Establishing The Official Date
#Congress formalized Thanksgiving's date in 1941 through a joint resolution signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The resolution designated the fourth Thursday of November as the official Thanksgiving holiday. This decision followed Roosevelt's 1939 attempt to move the holiday earlier to extend the Christmas shopping season. The shift created confusion with some states following Roosevelt's "Franksgiving" date while others maintained the traditional last Thursday observance. The 1941 legislation resolved these inconsistencies by establishing a permanent federal holiday date.
| Timeline of Date Changes |
|---|
| 1939: Roosevelt moves date to fourth Thursday |
| 1940: States split between two dates |
| 1941: Congress standardizes fourth Thursday |
| Implementation: 1942 |
Key Takeaways
#- The first documented Thanksgiving celebration took place in autumn 1621 at Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, where 52 English Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Native Americans gathered for a three-day harvest festival.
- Earlier thanksgiving celebrations occurred in North America, including Spanish settlers in St. Augustine, Florida (1565) and English settlers in Berkeley Hundred, Virginia (1619).
- The Plymouth celebration became widely recognized as "America's First Thanksgiving" after Alexander Young's 1841 publication and Sarah Josepha Hale's 36-year campaign for a national holiday.
- The Wampanoag people played a crucial role in the Pilgrims' survival, teaching them essential skills like planting corn, fishing, and hunting in the New World.
- President Abraham Lincoln officially established Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863, and Congress standardized its celebration on the fourth Thursday of November in 1941.
Conclusion
#The traditional story of America's first Thanksgiving in Plymouth 1621 represents just one chapter in a rich tapestry of harvest celebrations across early colonial America. From Spanish settlers in Florida to English colonists in Virginia multiple groups celebrated thanksgiving in their own unique ways.
While the Plymouth celebration has become the cornerstone of modern Thanksgiving tradition its recognition as "the first" stems from 19th-century historical interpretations and cultural developments. The three-day feast between Pilgrims and Wampanoag stands out for its remarkable display of cross-cultural cooperation during a pivotal moment in American history.
Today's Thanksgiving celebration continues to echo the spirit of gratitude community and shared abundance that characterized these early colonial celebrations. The holiday remains a powerful reminder of the diverse cultural origins that shaped America's thanksgiving traditions.