Lauren Mortimer - What Was the First Thanksgiving?

For Debbie Randolph and Jay Gallagher, with thanks for the Thanksgivings at their houseJH

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Text copyright 2013 by Joan Holub.

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2013017076

ISBN 9780448464633 (paperback)

ISBN 9780698159471 (ebook)

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The first Thanksgiving was a feast to celebrate the Pilgrims first harvest. It took place in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1621. And it lasted for three whole days. There was a lot of eating. There were probably games. There were more Native American guests than Pilgrims. It was a happy time.

The Pilgrims had sailed to America from England in 1620. They came on a ship named the Mayflower.

What exactly is a pilgrim?

A pilgrim is someone who goes on a long trip in Gods name. The Pilgrims on the Mayflower traveled all the way across the Atlantic Ocean to find religious freedom. They wanted to worship God in their own way.

That first summer in America, the corn grew strong and tall. Beans, squash, and pumpkins grew in the fields. Carrots, turnips, and onions grew in the gardens by their homes. In the fall, it was time to harvest. There would be plenty to eat in the coming winter. So the Pilgrims wanted to give thanks. And they did.

Today Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States. It falls on the fourth Thursday of November. Its a day to be thankful for many things, including having enough to eat. Its a day for sharing. Families and friends get together. They play football games or see them on TV. They watch parades.

The first Thanksgiving happened so long ago. Some facts are not certain. No one is sure if the Pilgrims actually invited the Native Americans to their Thanksgiving feast. Perhaps the natives heard the Pilgrims shooting their muskets and went to investigate, bringing weapons in case of trouble. So it could have turned into a fight that long-ago day instead of a wonderful three-day party!

In the early 1600s, King James I ruled England. He made the laws and ran the government. Everyone had to be Christian and join the Church of England. No one could choose a different religion. Whatever rules the king made, everyone had to obey them. Or else.

King James I

Some people called themselves Puritans. They were Christians. But they didnt want to be part of the Church of England. They believed the Bible was the law in religion. Not the king. Some Puritans wanted to separate from the kings church. They started their own churches and held prayer meetings. They had to do it in secret. Otherwise King James could have thrown them in jail!

Some Puritans escaped to Holland in 1608. In Holland they were free to worship the way they liked. They stayed for twelve years. But it was hard to get good-paying jobs in Holland. And they felt out of place. They were English, but now their children were speaking Dutch, the language of Holland. They wanted a place they could call their own. They decided to travel to the New World. That was what people in Europe called North America back then.

The Puritans worked out a deal with a company. They got a ship, a crew, and some cargo. As soon as they were settled in the New World, the Puritans would get to work. They would cut trees and go hunting and fishing. Theyd send lumber, furs, and fish back to England. They would pay back the company and eventually own the land they had settled.

Not all of the Puritans in Holland were going to be able to make the trip. That was okay with some. They were too scared to go. They were afraid the ship might sink. And there were stories about natives attacking English settlements.

But around forty-five Puritans would soon sail across an ocean in a small ship for a chance at a new life in the New World.

Jamestown, the First English Colony

In December 1606, three ships from England set sail to the New World. Together, they carried 104 settlers, all men and boys. They arrived in Virginia in April 1607. On May 13, they chose a spot along the James River and began building a fort. Their settlement was called Jamestown, in honor of King James.