Pilgrims Arrive 400 Years Ago-- Part 5: Hard Times, Then a Feast

1621

Well, 399 years ago.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY

Struggling to build their settlement, the Pilgrims are ravaged by disease and want of food.

By spring, nearly half of them are dead.

MARCH 16

A Native-American man named Samoset enters the Plymouth colony and introduces himself to the Pilgrims.  Soon afterwards, Massasoit, leader of the Indians in the region, visits the settlement.

A peace treaty between his people, the Wampanoags, and the Pilgrims is adopted.

APRIL 5

The Mayflower departs Plymouth and returns to England. 

I imagine there were more than a few Pilgrims wondering if they should have been on it.

SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER

Sometime during this period, the Pilgrims and some 90 Indians join for a harvest festival that has come to be called the First Thanksgiving.

This feast takes place over several days, not just one day.

--Thanks and Thanks.  

Five Lies About Early American History You Might Have Learned in School

From the Literacy Site by Allison Stout.

1.  CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS DISCOVERED  THE AMERICAS.

2.  THE ENTIRE THANKSGIVING STORY  There is a 4:30 minute video for you to watch.

3.  THERE WERE 13 ORIGINAL COLONIES--    There were only 12 because Delaware was a part of Pennsylvania until 1776.  Delaware may not have been a colony, it was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution (hence the nickname "The First State).

4.  THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WAS ADDRESSED TO KING GEORGE III.  It was actually an explanation to the world and England that the colonies had to cut ties with England.  And, John Hancock did not sign his name really big so that King George III could read it without his glasses.    He just had an obnoxiously big signature.

5.  THE UNION FOUGHT THE CIVIL WAR TO FREE THE SLAVES.  Lincoln actually wanted to preserve the Union at first and to keep the border states happy.  Abolishing slavery would not go over big in these slave states.

It wasn't until later in the war that the goal began to shift toward freeing the slaves.

--Cooter

Korean War Veteran Chuck Class-- Part 2: The Turkey Dinner

Fortunately, he was never wounded during the conflict.

As an engineer, he usually wasn't near the front lines, except when his unit would give the infantry a night off and take their places along the front lines.

Both North Koreans and Chinese wore the same uniform.  U.S. and South Korea forces also wore the same uniform. About the closest he ever came to seeing the enemy was seeing them on a distant hill. "They were shooting at us and we were shooting at them."

In 2000, he and his wife went to Washington, D.C. and visited the Korean War Memorial.

His unit had their own cooks so they didn't have to eat the c rations.  They bought their own food and ate well.  He remembers one Thanksgiving where they had the complete turkey dinner, but had a glob of ice cream melting into it.

--Cooter

Thanksgiving-- Part 3

Still taking this from Oneida Joyce Martin's "Devotions for Clubs and Life."

ABRAHAM LINCOLN TO THE RESCUE

After the Union victory at Gettysburg in 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.

Businessmen seeking relief from the Great Depression by having a longer Christmas shopping season, got President Roosevelt to move it to the third Thursday in 1939, but after three years of protest agreed to return it to the fourth Thursday.


A TURKEY STORY

The abiding symbol of Thanksgiving, the turkey, was originally a wild bird known to Mexicans and Central Americans. Early Spanish explorers took it to Europe and the bird was finally domesticated in Turkey. Hence the name.

Sounds Turkish to Me. --Old Coot

Thanksgiving-- Part 2

Continued from Nov. 28th.

President John Adams proclaimed Thanksgiving in May in 1798 and April in 1799. President Jefferson believed it to be too religious and citing the separation of church and state, refused to proclaim it. One minister, somewhat upset, had a prayer in church, "Oh Lord, endow the president with a goodly portion of Thy Grace for Thou, Oh Lord, knowest he needs it."

THE END OF THANKSGIVING?

Things were looking pretty bad for it until three Southern states: Georgia, Texas, and Virginia began observing it in 1855.

Sara H. Hale, editor of Godey's Lady's Book in the mid-1800s waged a one-woman campaign for more than forty years urging politicians to adopt a uniform national Thanksgiving Day. She first wanted July 4th.

More to Come. --Cooter

Thanksgiving

From Devotions for Clubs and Life by Oneida Joyce Martin.

Mom brought this to my attention and there were some items I hadn't hgeard of before.

Thanksgiving's beginnings can be traced to 1621 when Gov. William Bradford of the Massachusetts Colony proclaimed a three-day feasting and sporting day to celebrate the survival of the group. A small band of Indians joined them for boiled eels (YUM), venison, wild duck, clams, mussels, cornbread, plums, and SWEET WINE!! I didn't know the Pilgrims drank.

Massachusetts Bay Puritans and the Dutch in New Amsterdam liked the idea and observed it every so often. The Puritans, of course, were against drinking and games.

Historians in the Middle and Southern colonies believe the observation started there, but, usually this is regarded as a New England custom.

OLD GEORGE

George Washington proclaimed a day of thanks for his army in 1782 and each soldier got extra food and TWO NEW SHIRTS. Later, Washington as president proclaimed November 26, 1789, as a day of thanks.

More to Come. --Coot