What Was The First Thanksgiving Really Like? -Historical Inaccuracies in American History
- jr81568
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The first Thanksgiving was different than the stories we have been told in history books and articles. The first Thanksgiving was supposed to be in the Fall of 1621 between the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians. Many European colonists had a ceremony similar to the first Thanksgiving celebration with Native Americans in different locations in the US. Some of earlier locations were in 1607 in Maine, 1610 in Jamestown, and in Virginia.
Although there were many positive relations between colonists and Native American many stories about these celebrations forget to tell you about the acts of betrayal against Native American by some colonists. Treaties were broken, land stolen from indigenous people., and many were killed to obtain the land. Some Native Americans observe a National Day of Mourning on Thanksgiving Day to honor ancestors and recognize their ongoing struggle.
The First Thanksgiving Recorded in the Fall 1621- Between the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians
The Pilgrims were known as religious separatists who fled England for religious freedom. They eventually sailed on the Mayflower and due to a storm ended up in Cape Cod. They settled in Plymouth, and it was known as the first permanent European settlement in New England.
The Pilgrims discovered a complex web of relationships among the Native Americans when they settled in Plymouth. The dominant tribe was The Wampanoags led by Chief Massasoit. This tribe had been weakened by disease and warfare and wanted an alliance with the Pilgrims for protection and trade.
After the first successful harvest a leader with the Pilgrims named Edward Winslow invited the Indians to a three-day celebration. Over 90 Wampanoag Indians attended, 22 men, 4 women, and 25 children and teens.
The Pilgrims saw it as a time to establish a community and spread their Christian beliefs. The Wampanoags Indians saw this as a time to strengthen their alliance and secure their own political and economic interest. Each groups goals were different.
What Did They Eat and What Were the Activities On The First Thanksgiving?
The first Thanksgiving had bonfires, song, food. shooting, wrestling matches, and foot races. They met and shared a meal but the Wampanoags Indians brought a large percentage of the food eaten. The food was not the traditional food we have for Thanksgiving today.
They ate fowl duck and pigeons, deer, fish, lobster, eels, mussels, grapes, plums and pumpkins. They had corn in grain form to make bread or porridge. Small birds were often roasted over a fire and larger birds boiled and later roasted.
Birds were often stuffed with onions and herbs or chestnuts. Often meat and fish were bake into pies. The Wampanoags had a diet of 70% produce and 20 percent meat and fish. They had earlier celebrations throughout the year before the Pilgrim's arrived one was the Strawberry Thanksgiving and other Green Corn Ceremony.
Many of the Pilgrims and colonists celebrated the harvest throughout the year and when they established a new colony in the United States long before the first Thanksgiving happened. During the early days many Native Americans and Pilgrims died from disease, warfare, and battling the elements. It was struggle for both groups to live in the wilderness.
References:
The Origins and Perspective of the First Thanksgiving: A Historian's Perspective, by History Tools, History Tools, May 26, 2024
The Real History and Dark Truth of History in America, by Charlotte Hilton Andersen, Readers Digest, August 4, 2025
Thanksgiving From Local Harvests to National Holiday, Smithsonian 2025
The Real History of Thanksgiving by Alli Hartley-Kong, Library of Congress Blogs, November 20, 2024
An Historian Explain How the Pilgrim Took Over Thanksgiving and Who Has Been Erased by Thomas Tweed The Conversation, PBS News, November 23, 2025
What Food Was Served At the First Thanksgiving in 1621? by Megan Gambino, Smithsonian Magazine, November 26, 2024 Updated