Did The First Thanksgiving Happen?

You were not present, I was not present, nor someone who attended the first Thanksgiving documented the scenes.

Therefore, no one can say with one hundred percent surety that it happened in 1621 or 1619 or maybe in another year.

However, in this post, we will cover the ongoing and most popular stories about the first Thanksgiving and also some misconceptions about it.

I am sure this will help you to get a better idea on the first event.

Did The First Thanksgiving Happen? – 1621’s Perspective

According to the supporters of 1621’s perspective, the first-ever Thanksgiving was observed in 1621, between the months of late September and early November.

53 English Pilgrims of Plymouth, Massachusetts organized the festival after the success of their first harvesting in the new world.

Almost one hundred Pilgrims went from Europe to the new world on a boat called “Mayflower”.

Half of them perished because of harsh winter and some other obstacles.

Those who survived later thanked the almighty god for keeping them alive and providing success in harvesting.

It is said that the festival lasted for three days, and the Pilgrims also invited 90 Native Americans from the Wampanoag tribe.

However, according to James Baker, Natives reached there hearing the sound of celebratory gunfire.

Pilgrims warmly welcomed them and shared their food items with respect.

The 1619’s Thanksgiving Perspective

According to this theory, the first Thanksgiving was observed in 1619, but not in 1621.

It was organized by English settlers in Virginia after their successful landing at Berkeley Hundred.

They reached there on a ship called “Margaret”.

Some Misconceptions On The First Thanksgiving

Schools, and colleges; especially in the United States teach our children some fairy tales about the first Thanksgiving.

Ironically, nothing happened in the way the perspectives above.

In the first perspective, it is shown that the Pilgrims were so kind and respectful towards the Natives on the first Thanksgiving day that they even shared their hardly arranged food items.

Heart-rending truth is that the Pilgrims were not that kind or respectful towards the Natives.

Instead, settlers including most of the Pilgrims were racist murderers.

All the stories above were created during the days of the Civil War (1863) to divert the American people and calm down the ongoing situation.