Laurie Collier Hillstrom - Thanksgiving: The American Holiday

Omnigraphics, Inc.

Cherie D. Abbey, Managing Editor

Allison A. Beckett and Mary Butler, Research Staff

Peter E. Ruffner, Publisher

Matthew P. Barbour, Senior Vice President

Elizabeth Collins, Research and Permissions Coordinator

Kevin M. Hayes, Operations Manager

Cherry Stockdale, Permissions Assistant

Shirley Amore, Martha Johns, and Kirk Kauffman, Administrative Staff

Copyright 2011 Omnigraphics, Inc.

ISBN 978-0-7808-1246-8

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hillstrom, Laurie Collier, 1965

Thanksgiving : the American holiday / by Laurie C. Hillstrom.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Summary: Provides information about the history, lore, traditions, foods, and symbols of the Thanksgiving celebration. Features include narrative overview essays, primary source documents, and resources for further informationProvided by publisher.

ISBN 978-0-7808-1246-8 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Thanksgiving Day. 2. Thanksgiving cooking. 3. United StatesSocial life and customs. I. Title.

GT4975.H56 2011

394.2649dc22

2011012527

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

The information in this publication was compiled from sources cited and from sources considered reliable. While every possible effort has been made to ensure reliability, the publisher will not assume liability for damages caused by inaccuracies in the data, and makes no warranty, express or implied, on the accuracy of the information contained herein.

This book is printed on acid-free paper meeting the ANSI Z39.48 Standard. The infinity symbol that appears above indicates that the paper in this book meets that standard.

Printed in the United States of America.

Everyone loves Thanksgiving! Each year, the holiday offers millions of Americans a precious opportunity to gather with family and friends, enjoy delicious traditional foods, and appreciate the small blessings of life. But few people realize that the familiar Thanksgiving celebrations of today are rooted in a fascinating history that winds through four centuries. Thanksgiving: The American Holiday pays tribute to the holidays remarkable background as well as its beloved place in modern culture.

Thanksgiving: The American Holiday contains two essays and more than 50 primary source documents that explore every aspect of the holiday. The first essay, History and Observance, traces the development of popular Thanksgiving customs, from ancient harvest festivals to present-day parades and football games. It covers the lore of the Pilgrims and the legendary 1621 feast that became known as the first Thanksgiving; the growth of Thanksgiving traditions in New England during the colonial period; the tireless campaign waged by activist Sarah Josepha Hale to proclaim a national day of thanks during the Civil War; the controversial decision by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to change the date of Thanksgiving at the request of major retailers during the Great Depression; and the challenges to mainstream views of the holiday mounted by Native American activists in the 1970s.

The second essay, Holiday Food from the 17th to the 21st Centuries, examines the evolution of the traditional Thanksgiving menu from the Pilgrims feast to contemporary tables. It covers the basic foods available to the Pilgrims, as well as those that were conspicuously absent from the original celebration; the introduction of pies as a Thanksgiving tradition during the 19th century; the emergence of turkey as the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal; the impact of new kitchen technology and prepared foods on the holiday menu in the 20th century; and the influence of regional cooking styles and international dishes on the modern-day Thanksgiving meal.

Finally, Thanksgiving: The American Holiday contains a unique collection of more than 50 primary source documents spanning the 400-year history of the holiday, including poems, hymns, short stories, presidential proclamations, historic documents, and contemporary magazine feature articles. The words of such famous Americans as William Bradford, Thomas Jefferson, Daniel Webster, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Abraham Lincoln, Louisa May Alcott, John Greenleaf Whittier, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Jack Prelutsky provide valuable insights into the many ways that Thanksgiving has shaped the American spirit through the years.

Thanksgiving: The American Holiday is for everyone who loves Thanksgivingas well as anyone with a fondness for history who wants to discover the fascinating, true stories behind one of Americas landmark cultural institutions.

This print, titled The Landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Mass. Dec. 22nd, 1620, was produced by Currier & Ives around 1876.

The contemporary American holiday of Thanksgiving means many things to many people. For some, the strongest association with the special day is a huge, home-cooked meal consisting of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. Others appreciate the holiday as a long weekend off work that gives them a valuable opportunity to travel homeward and be reunited with distant friends and family. Some people spend the day watching parades or football games, either live or on television, while others eagerly anticipate the start of the Christmas shopping season the following day. Many Americans attend church on Thanksgiving to express gratitude for the blessings they received during the previous year. Still others mark Thanksgiving by collecting canned goods or serving meals at soup kitchens to help those less fortunate than themselves. Finally, some Americans view Thanksgiving as a patriotic holidaya time to reflect on the basic principles and values that made the country great.

Both the meaning and the means of celebrating Thanksgiving have changed from generation to generation throughout U.S. history. From the time of the Pilgrims through Americas colonial days, Thanksgiving was a solemn and prayerful occasion when people expressed their gratitude to God for fruits of the harvest and instances of good fortune. During the revolutionary period, Thanksgiving evolved into an annual New England tradition and took on patriotic significance. Thanksgiving observances gradually spread westward and southward in the mid-1800s, especially after President Abraham Lincoln declared it a national holiday during the Civil War.

By the early 20th century, Thanksgiving had also become a tool to teach new immigrants about American history and values. Over the course of the 20th century the holiday took on a more celebratory, festive atmosphere with the gradual addition of football games, parades, and Christmas sales to the annual observances. Despite its complicated history, however, Thanksgiving has remained a beloved institution in American life for more than three centuries.