JimBowie1958
Old Fogey
- Sep 25, 2011
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The Truth about Thanksgiving Day is that while it was celebrated locally, it only became a permanent national holiday because Abraham Lincoln wanted to heal a divided nation toward the close of the American Civil War.:
Newt Gingrich: First Thanksgiving wasn’t like what you were taught in school – Here’s the true story
Newt Gingrich: First Thanksgiving wasn’t like what you were taught in school – Here’s the true story
Kirkpatrick shared a tremendous amount of insight on the Thanksgiving holiday. For instance, what most consider the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in October 1621 after the pilgrims’ first harvest. The feast lasted for three days and included games and all-around good cheer. It was attended by 90 Wampanoag warriors and 53 Pilgrims, according to Pilgrim Edward Winslow’s account....
It’s unclear whether the Wampanoag were expected to be there or even invited – although they did bring enough venison to feed the entire party for three days. It’s also likely that this was (at least in the beginning) a tense interaction. The Native Americans were all male warriors. They outnumbered the Pilgrims nearly 2:1, and many of the Pilgrims included women and children, who were not trained for battle.
Nevertheless, the two groups gathered and gave thanks for the bounty of the harvest, and the rich natural resources of this American continent. There was plenty for which to be thankful. The Pilgrims and Wampanoag had settled on a peace treaty – and the English newcomers had a survived the winter largely because the natives had shown them how to plant corn, where to fish, and how to survive in the environment. However, no one ever called that celebration “Thanksgiving.”
In fact, the first recorded “Day of Thanksgiving” happened two years later. It was July, and the English settlers were celebrating rain after a prolonged drought. From there, Kirkpatrick shares a fascinating story of how today’s Thanksgiving was born out of a series of political fights.
That’s right. When President George Washington first proclaimed a national Day of Thanksgiving, it was hotly debated. Some in the Congress suggested the president lacked authority to impose a national holiday upon governors. Others suggested it was a religious holiday and shouldn’t be in federal purview.
Again, in 1863, Lincoln proclaimed a nationwide Day of Thanksgiving as a means to bridge divides in our war-wracked country.
There are still over 2000 Wampanoag living in their ancestral lands in New England today, as is the case with most friendly tribes.It’s unclear whether the Wampanoag were expected to be there or even invited – although they did bring enough venison to feed the entire party for three days. It’s also likely that this was (at least in the beginning) a tense interaction. The Native Americans were all male warriors. They outnumbered the Pilgrims nearly 2:1, and many of the Pilgrims included women and children, who were not trained for battle.
Nevertheless, the two groups gathered and gave thanks for the bounty of the harvest, and the rich natural resources of this American continent. There was plenty for which to be thankful. The Pilgrims and Wampanoag had settled on a peace treaty – and the English newcomers had a survived the winter largely because the natives had shown them how to plant corn, where to fish, and how to survive in the environment. However, no one ever called that celebration “Thanksgiving.”
In fact, the first recorded “Day of Thanksgiving” happened two years later. It was July, and the English settlers were celebrating rain after a prolonged drought. From there, Kirkpatrick shares a fascinating story of how today’s Thanksgiving was born out of a series of political fights.
That’s right. When President George Washington first proclaimed a national Day of Thanksgiving, it was hotly debated. Some in the Congress suggested the president lacked authority to impose a national holiday upon governors. Others suggested it was a religious holiday and shouldn’t be in federal purview.
Again, in 1863, Lincoln proclaimed a nationwide Day of Thanksgiving as a means to bridge divides in our war-wracked country.
