WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Of the 102 Pilgrims that had landed in the "New World" the year previously, nearly half of them had died during the first winter.
These English religious separatists, known as the "Pilgrims," had come to form a new community. Instead, many of them were taken away by pneumonia and consumption after having been weakened by the bitter cold and lack of food. Without even sufficient houses built, many were also forced to live on their transport boat, the Mayflower.
This fledgling -- and seemingly doomed colony -- had been started after the Mayflower landed in Nov. 1620 near Cape Cod after having been blown off course from its intended destination in Virginia. After the initial winter, those that were left -- such as the teenage Pricilla Mullins, whose entire family died leaving her an orphan -- carried on and somehow survived. They built further, planted, hunted, and met and made a treaty with neighboring Indian tribe, the Wampanoag, who history records were instrumental in helping the Pilgrims.
By the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims were at last situated. And because of a bountiful first harvest, the governor of this small community, William Bradford, declared a celebration. Though not called a "Thanksgiving" at the time, its purpose was just that. Also, to show friendship with the Wampanoag tribe (with whom the treaty was never broken), the Pilgrims held a joint three-day feast with their indigenous neighbors.
(Later relations, in general, between European colonists and Native Americans were a history of disaster for Native Americans.)
For this very first Thanksgiving, one legend has it that before the Pilgrims began this feast, that each colonists placed just five kernels of corn on their plate in order to remember the recent time when they had little food or chance for survival.
For an examination of how this holiday that has come to be known for food, family and football, actually started, you can get historical Thanksgiving information straight from Plymouth, Mass, (home of the Pilgrims where it all began). Here you will find the Pilgrim's Net homepage. You can take a historical tour of the Massachusetts community, get a history lesson and learn about the First Thanksgiving. Of course, there are also some New England recipes at this address:
pilgrims.net/plymouth/
The Scholastic.Com website has produced an excellent interpretive historical program about the original Thanksgiving and the early Pilgrim colony, including "interviews" with historical re-enactors, and much background information.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/thanksgiving
Another top Thanksgiving history website is the American Thanksgiving homepage at this address: night.net/thanksgiving/
Historical documents available at this Web site include the Mayflower Compact, the Peace Treaty with Chief Massasoit of the Wampanoag, and the first official "Thanksgiving" proclamation in 1676 of the Massachusetts colony.
Because the custom of observing a day of thanks did not become formalized until the 20th century, there have been a number of famous proclamations declaring a national Thanksgiving, including one by George Washington to the Continental Congress, and a proclamation by Abraham Lincoln.
For tips on preparing the perfect Thanksgiving Day feast, cooking and carving the turkey and decorating the house, the Internet is a perfect resource. There are Web sites dealing with the meal and the origins of the holiday, which is traditionally a family event unique to the United States.
A top starting point for holiday cooking is the Butterball Turkey Web site, which deals with everything from various recipes to providing an answer to the oft asked question of how long to cook the bird.
Butterball has added a "Just For Fun" section to its otherwise serious site. The headline on this section is "Lighten Up" and there are links to Turkey trivia and an audio clip of a Gobbling Turkey.
.butterball.com
Better Homes and Gardens magazine has a "Holiday Survival Guide" on the net that is very comprehensive. It includes a menu planner. Cooking information, a guide to setting a beautiful table and an archive of Thanksgiving articles from the magazine.
bhglive.com/food/holiday/
The Public Broadcasting Station has a helpful story on wine suggestions for a turkey dinner. It is heavy on the Zinfandel.
pbs.org/newshour/thanksgiving/wine.html
And for those who feel that Thanksgiving is unfair to the turkey population of North American, there is a homepage with vegetarian suggestions for the holiday.
boutell.com/vegetarian/Thanksgiving.html
What would Thanksgiving be without a football game on the tube? Our recommendation is ESPN's SportsZone NFL site on the Net for Thanksgiving Day football addicts. This Web site is probably the single-best sports resource around, and in this case it acts as the host of an excellent National Football League page.
nfl.com/
Edward Winslow letter of 1621
Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, among other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some 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 bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain, and others.
And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.
Edward Winslow, December 11, 1621, in A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth (Mourt's Relation: A Relation or Journal of the English Plantation settled at Plymouth in New England, by certain English adventurers both merchants and others.) Dwight Heath, ed. New York: Corinth Books, 1963, p. 82.
new-life.net/thanks02.htm
· A portion of President Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation:
The year that is drawing towards its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity ... It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.
(From: teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-2412.html)
