What Really Happened at the First Thanksgiving?

1. What Really Happened at the First Thanksgiving?

2. There are so many myths about the First Thanksgiving that it is difficult to know what really happened. Which of the three resources would help a historian know what really happened at the first Thanksgiving in 1621? • Book • Painting • Letter • Textbook

3. Primary vs Secondary Sources • What is the difference in a Primary and Secondary source? • Primary Source Activity

4. This is part of a history written by William Bradford in about 1640 called The History of Plymouth Plantation. The spelling and words have been changed to make it easier for people today to understand. "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 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."

5. A painting entitled “The First Thanksgiving in Plymouth”, painted by Jennie A Brownscombe in 1914

6. This is part of a letter written by Edward Winslow to a friend in England on December 12 1621. The spelling and words have been changed to make it easier for people today to understand. “Our harvest being gotten in, our Governor sent four men hunting wild fowl, so that we might have a special celebration together, after we had brought in our crops. Those four in one day killed as much wild fowl that it and some other food served the community almost a week. At that time, along with other recreations, we practiced shooting our muskets. Many of the Wampanoag came to the town including their leader Massasoit with about 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 presented to Governor Bradford and Captain Standish and others. Although food is not always so plentiful as it was at that time, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from starvation, that we often wish you could share our plenty.”

7. This is part of a textbook, A Proud Nation, written by Ernest R. May, a historian, published in 1989. “The Indians taught the settlers to plant corn, using fish for fertilizer. Bradford called the Indians “ a special instrument sent by God for good.” In the fall the Pilgrims had a good harvest and enough furs and lumber to fill the supply ship. To give thanks to God for the good harvest and the supplies, William Bradford organized a three-day Thanksgiving celebration that included dancing and feasting with Massasoit and his people. This was the first Thanksgiving celebrated in the colonies. In the same year William Bradford was elected governor of Plymouth for the first of thirty terms.

8. Video Clips • History of Thanksgiving • Bet you didn’t know, Thanksgiving