The First Thanksgivings - Plymouth

​The Two Stories of the first
Thanksgiving

What really happened at the first Thanksgiving?

What Do You Know About the First Thanksgiving?

• ​George Washington was the first President to call for a national day of thanksgiving for November 26, 1789.

• In 1862 Abraham Lincoln set the last Thursday in November as a day of thanksgiving.

• In 1939, Franklin Roosevelt changed the date to the fourth Thursday in November!

​National Holiday

​What day should it be!?!?

- George Washington

" …a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God…and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions…" 

- Abraham Lincoln

" No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. …I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens… to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our…Father who dwelleth in the heavens. " 

So WHERE was the First Thanksgiving???

As English settlers landed here on December 4, 1619 they celebrated a safe journey to the New World.

​Berkley Hundred, Virginia

Widely accepted as the true first, this thanksgiving was sometime in September or November of 1621.

Plymouth, Massachusetts

Poll

Which Thanksgiving did you know about?

• Plymouth, MA

• Berkley Hundred, VA

• I didn't know either, but excited to learn!

The Plymouth Story

​About the Pilgrims' Experience

• Of the 102 passengers on the Mayflower, only 53 survived when it landed. Only a few were able to take care of others.

• Their first winter there was extremely harsh. The few remaining passengers were struggling in the new world. 

• They would not have survived were it not for the help of the Indigenous Peoples, aka Indians, aka aka Native Americans.

• They were able to complete their village in February of 1621. 

• The Mayflower ship eventually returned to England on April 5, 1621, and left those 53 pilgrims behind.

​

• Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in November 1620.

• The Native Americans (also known as Indigenous People) showed them how to survive the winter and plant crops in the spring. In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims and Native Americans had a big feast to give thanks for the harvest.

• The stories of this celebration were passed down and contributed to the creation of this National Holiday.

​The Thanksgiving Story You Know

- Edward Winslow

“ …our harvest being gotten in, our Governor sent foure men on fowling, that so we might after a speciall manner rejoyce together, after we had gathered the fruit of our labours; they foure in one day killed as much fowle, as with a little helpe beside, served the Company almost a weeke, at which time amongst other Recreations, we exercised our Armes, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest King Massasoyt, with some ninetie men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five Deere, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our Governour, and upon the Captaine and others. ”

- Edward Winslow

“ ...rejoyce together, after we had gathered the fruit of our labours ”


" amongst other Recreations "


"many of the Indians coming amongst us... some ninetie men "


" for three days we entertained and feasted "

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​The Thanksgiving Feast in Plymouth

• Three days of feasting and playing games

• May have been similar to the traditions during an English harvest festival that was celebrated around September or October annually.

• At least 90 Wamponaoag Native Americans joined the Pilgrims.

• The group of pilgrims contained 22 men, 4 women, 14 teenagers, and 13 young children.