Americans trace the Thanksgiving holiday to a 1621 celebration at the Plymouth Plantation, where the settlers held a harvest feast after a successful growing season. Autumn or early winter feasts continued sporadically in later years, with first as an impromptu religious observance and later as a civil tradition.

Squanto, a Patuxet Native American who resided with the Wampanoag tribe, taught the Pilgrims how to catch eel and grow corn and served as an interpreter for them. Squanto had learned the English language during his enslavement in England. The Wampanoag leader Massasoit  had given food to the colonists  during the first winter when supplies brought from England were insufficient.

The Pilgrims celebrated at Plymouth for three days after their first harvest in 1621.

The exact time is unknown,  however,   James Baker,  the Plimoth Plantation vice president of research, stated in 1996, “The event occurred between Sept. 21 and Nov. 11, 1621, with the most likely time being around Michaelmas (Sept. 29), the traditional time.” Seventeenth-century accounts do not identify this as a Thanksgiving observance, rather it followed the harvest. It included 50 persons who were on the Mayflower (all who remained of the 100 who had landed) and 90 Native Americans. The feast was cooked by the four adult Pilgrim women who survived their first winter in the New World (Eleanor Billington, Elizabeth Hopkins, Mary Brewster, and Susanna White), along with young daughters and male and female servants.

Two colonists gave personal accounts of the 1621 feast in Plymouth. The Pilgrims, most    of whom were Separatists (English Dissenters), are not to be confused with Puritans, who established their own Massachusetts Bay Colony on the Shawmut Peninsula (current day Boston) in 1630.  Both groups were strict Calvinists, but differed in their views regarding the Church of England. Puritans wished to remain in the Anglican Church and reform it, while the Pilgrims wanted complete separation from the church.

The True Story of the First Thanksgiving, American Experience, PBS, November 24, 2015

Harvest festival observed by the Pilgrims at Plymouth.

Americans also trace the Thanksgiving holiday to a 1621 celebration at the Plymouth Plantation,  where the settlers held a harvest feast after a successful growing season. Autumn or early winter feasts  continued sporadically in later years,  with first as an impromptu religious observance and later as a civil tradition.

Squanto, a Patuxet Native American who resided with the Wampanoag tribe, taught the Pilgrims how to catch eel and grow corn and served as an interpreter for them. Squanto had learned the English language during his enslavement in England. The Wampanoag leader Massasoit had given food to the colonists during the first winter when supplies brought from England were insufficient.

 “I must soon quit this scene. But you may live to se our country flourish, as it will amazingly and rapidly after the war is over; like a field of young Indian corn, which long fair weather had enfeebled and discolored, and which in that weak state, by a thunder gust of violent wind,  hail  and of rain, seemed to be threatened with absolute destruction;  yet the storm being past,  it recovers fresh verdure,  shoots up with double vigor, and delights the eye, not of its owner only, but of every observing traveler.”

Then the next year the British surrendered at Yorktown. The war was over. The troops  that had been beaten down like the corn Franklin described shot up with double vigor    and flourished into history. Clear to “every observing traveler!”

Ben, of course, lived to be a part of the Constitutional Convention. Not only a part of it,  but an influential voice.

What have we got? “A republic . . .if you can keep it!”

Did Benjamin Franklin write that he preferred the turkey over the bald eagle as the national symbol? Yes.

Franklin’s lament of the choice of bald eagle comes from a letter he wrote in 1784. He was remarking upon the medal of the Society of the Cincinnati, which representatives of the new nation were taking to France to bestow upon those who had helped in the American Revolution. The medals depicted a bald eagle that some people thought looked more like    a turkey. The suggestion sent Franklin into a thorough drubbing of the eagle’s merits as a symbol.

The bald eagle’s role as a national symbol is linked to its 1782 landing on the Great Seal      of the United States. Shortly after the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress also gave Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams the job of designing an official seal for the new nation. However, the 3 Founding Fathers failed to come up with a design that won Congress’ approval, as did two later committees that were given the task.

 In mid-June 1782, the work of all three committees was handed over to Charles Thomson, the secretary of Congress. Thomson chose what he thought were the best elements of the various designs and made the eagle—which had been introduced by artistically inclined Pennsylvania lawyer William Barton in a design submitted by the third committee—more prominent. (Since ancient times, the eagle has been considered a sign of strength; Roman legions used the animal as their standard, or symbol.)

Thomson  recommended that the small, white eagle used in Barton’s design be replaced with an American bald eagle, and Congress adopted this design on June 20, 1782. (Contrary to legend, there’s no evidence Ben Franklin protested to Congress about the choice of the bald eagle and lobbied for the turkey, although in a 1784 letter to his daughter he did label the bald eagle “a bird of bad moral character”  that “does not get his Living honestly.”)

 .

You may have seen him perch’d on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk [Osprey]; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

Bam! Franklin is being pretty selective with his facts, though. While, yes, bald eagles will steal food from ospreys and eat carrion, they’re excellent fishermen. Additionally, birds of prey—including hawks and owls—are constantly being harassed by smaller birds. In fact, birders know to follow the sound of scolding birds in order to find these larger birds.

What about turkeys, Ben?

For in Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America. He is besides, tho’ a little vain and silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.

I am in agreement on all points. Turkeys are indeed native to the United States, are a little vain and silly, and are not to be messed with. But do we really want our national symbol to be something we cook and eat every Thanksgiving? Even in Franklin’s time, it would have been wrong to cover our flag with gross-looking neck wattles.

In todays world, I would like to be thankful for politicians in Washington that aren’t a bunch of wild turkeys instead have the foresight of our Founding Fathers. I laughed as Michelle Obama tried to convince American Citizens. . .that our Founding Father where foreigners not born in the United States (now that’s a true Princeton Graduate.) I didn’t laugh when Obamacare screwed over 71 million baby boomers with his health care plan that was so full of himself.

In todays world, we should have true universal health care not a plan that covers all the illegals he left into this country. A planned that is paid by all those people that live here in the United States. Not a plan where a friend sees his premiums go from $5400 in 2016 to $8300 in 2017 and that caused him so much stress he passes away on December 7 2016. That Barrack has blood on his hands. . . . from his sorry ass decisions.

In todays world, our health care should cover the expense of doctors, not only, see first year doctors pay ungodly amounts for college education  +/- $350,000,  but also, malpractice insurance $70,000 with office and staffing cost that put them into a position they have to rip off insurance companies to make a living for themselves. What our health care should do is tackle the root cause of this country demise …that being the health care crisis that hits everybody in their wallet.

In todays world, we need health care when the root cause is tackled and that alone would allow insurance companies to lower premiums. But we also need a system where insurance companies once again.  Becoming non profit institutions where CEO’s of those companies don’t get rich quick at the expense of our country’s future. We need a system that will drive down cost of doing business and that alone. . .will put smiles back on the face of Americans and give us all something to be Thankful for this coming Thanksgiving weekend 🙂

A Prayer for Thanksgiving Day
By Debbie McDaniel

And usually what goes along with it, is lots of food, family and friends, laughter and fun, times of giving to others in need, maybe some football,       or traditions that you’ve recognized through long years.

And sometimes too, there is also loneliness. And struggle. Or deep loss. Feelings of hurt and painful circumstances that you’re still trying to hurdle over.

Whatever you’re facing this Thanksgiving Day, in the midst of all of it, may we remember again  that God gives us the opportunity each and every day,  to give worship and thanks    to Him.  Every morning He gives us breath,  is His invitation  to come joyfully into His Presence.  He reminds us that  He alone is God and we belong to Him.  He assures us that His plans in our lives are for good,   his love covers us securely,  and His faithfulness extends from generation to generation.

No matter what, He’s given us so many reasons to choose thankfulness and joy this day. Let’s do what the Psalmist of this great chapter says:

– So Shout for joy.  🙂

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness, come before  him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God, it is he who made us, and we are his, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving,  and his courts with praise,  give thanks to him  and praise his name.  For the Lord is good; his  love endures forever, his faithfulness continues through generations.” Psalm 100:1-5

All across our nation, Thanksgiving is a day that we set aside in order to do one thing.

Be thankful. 🙂

Preview The Real Story of Thanksgiving

(Full Documentary)

 

Preview  Linus explains Thanksgiving