I was thinking about Thanksgiving recently. (Go figure) And I was thinking about what I learned of it in school. I was in second grade in 1970. It was a rather cynical era, and grew more cynical every year. So, in second grade we learned about how the Pilgrims got together to give thanks for the blessings of harvest, and how friendly Indians came and joined their celebrations. We eat turkey in remembrance of what the Pilgrims ate.
By Junior High School, the teachers were having none of that. It probably didn't even happen, and the Indians almost certainly didn't come, and it's not likely they had turkey. One story I read said they probably ate eels. The white men then conquered the Indians and took over the joint, but made up this fairy tale story to make white people look good.
Well, I never really questioned either the fairy tale original, or the more realistic sounding replacement. For some reason, though, I found myself thinking about it this year and it occurred to me that we have the internet now, and I could read about it in the real sources. I googled "Thanksgiving primary sources", and came up with this:
https://www.pilgrimhall.org/pdf/TG_W...ed_in_1621.pdf
(Excerpts follow)
Edward Winslow, Mourt's Relation:
"our harvest being gotten in, our governour sent foure men on fowling, that so we might after a speciall manner rejoyce together, after we had gathered the fruits 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 dayes 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. And although it be not always so plentifull, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so farre from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plentie."
William Bradford, Of Plimoth Plantation:
In the original 17th century spelling
"They begane now to gather in ye small harvest they had, and to fitte up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health & strenght, and had all things in good plenty; fFor as some were thus imployed in affairs abroad, others were excersised in fishing, aboute codd, & bass, & other fish, of which yey tooke good store, of which every family had their portion. All ye somer ther was no want. And now begane to come in store of foule, as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees). And besids water foule, ther was great store of wild Turkies, of which they tooke many, besids venison, &c. Besids, they had about a peck a meale a weeke to a person, or now since
harvest, Indean corn to yt proportion. Which made many afterwards write so largly of their plenty hear to their freinds in England, which were not fained, but true reports."
Those are the only two primary sources.
They're the fairytale version. All that stuff that they said about the "first Thanksgiving" back in the second grade all happened. The settlers didn't call themselves Pilgrims, and their hats didn't look like the ones in the pictures, but other than that, the fairy tale version was pretty much spot on.
Even when it comes to the relations with the Indians, the Plymouth Colony settlers and the local Indians got on quite well for a long time, most of the lifetimes of the people who landed at Plymouth. Obviously, eventually, things soured, as more colonists came over and eventually white people pushed aside, drove out, or just plain killed the Indians, but that actually came much later.
I just found it interesting that the second grade, idealistic, story, that was ridiculed by the more sophisticated teachers who came along later in the '70s, was actually the accurate version, right down to the turkeys.
By Junior High School, the teachers were having none of that. It probably didn't even happen, and the Indians almost certainly didn't come, and it's not likely they had turkey. One story I read said they probably ate eels. The white men then conquered the Indians and took over the joint, but made up this fairy tale story to make white people look good.
Well, I never really questioned either the fairy tale original, or the more realistic sounding replacement. For some reason, though, I found myself thinking about it this year and it occurred to me that we have the internet now, and I could read about it in the real sources. I googled "Thanksgiving primary sources", and came up with this:
https://www.pilgrimhall.org/pdf/TG_W...ed_in_1621.pdf
(Excerpts follow)
Edward Winslow, Mourt's Relation:
"our harvest being gotten in, our governour sent foure men on fowling, that so we might after a speciall manner rejoyce together, after we had gathered the fruits 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 dayes 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. And although it be not always so plentifull, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so farre from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plentie."
William Bradford, Of Plimoth Plantation:
In the original 17th century spelling
"They begane now to gather in ye small harvest they had, and to fitte up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health & strenght, and had all things in good plenty; fFor as some were thus imployed in affairs abroad, others were excersised in fishing, aboute codd, & bass, & other fish, of which yey tooke good store, of which every family had their portion. All ye somer ther was no want. And now begane to come in store of foule, as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees). And besids water foule, ther was great store of wild Turkies, of which they tooke many, besids venison, &c. Besids, they had about a peck a meale a weeke to a person, or now since
harvest, Indean corn to yt proportion. Which made many afterwards write so largly of their plenty hear to their freinds in England, which were not fained, but true reports."
Those are the only two primary sources.
They're the fairytale version. All that stuff that they said about the "first Thanksgiving" back in the second grade all happened. The settlers didn't call themselves Pilgrims, and their hats didn't look like the ones in the pictures, but other than that, the fairy tale version was pretty much spot on.
Even when it comes to the relations with the Indians, the Plymouth Colony settlers and the local Indians got on quite well for a long time, most of the lifetimes of the people who landed at Plymouth. Obviously, eventually, things soured, as more colonists came over and eventually white people pushed aside, drove out, or just plain killed the Indians, but that actually came much later.
I just found it interesting that the second grade, idealistic, story, that was ridiculed by the more sophisticated teachers who came along later in the '70s, was actually the accurate version, right down to the turkeys.
via International Skeptics Forum https://ift.tt/2VhlLOL
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