BackStory

American as Pumpkin Pie: A History of Thanksgiving

When we sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, we think we know what we’re commemorating. But if an actual Pilgrim were to attend your Thanksgiving, chances are he’d be stunned by what he saw there. In this episode, historian James McWilliams discusses why the Puritans would have turned up their noses at our “traditional” Thanksgiving foods. Religion scholar Anne Blue Wills reveals the Victorian  origins of our modern holiday, and one woman’s campaign to fix it on the national calendar. An archeologist at Colonial Williamsburg explains what garbage has to tell us about early American diets. And legendary NFL quarterback Roger Staubach describes what it was like to spend every turkey day on the football field.

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Web Exclusives

So that you might have something to look at while listening to a couple of highlights from our show, we compiled two special audio slide shows. Watch them here.

Further Reading

Want to learn more about the history of Thanksgiving? Check out a list of sources that the History Guys put together to learn more.

Even Further

29 Responses

  • Does a common Thanksgiving-historical-mythology really even exist? Historians seem to assume that Americans share, and believe to varying degrees, a collection of myths about American history. But at least as concerns Thanksgiving, doesn’t popular culture divorce the holiday from any hint of history/mythology? Is there any myth out there in need of busting?

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    jhaynes
    10/10/2008 at 1:17 pm

  • Would you consider Indians and Pilgrims sitting down to a big feast in a spirit of brotherly love a myth? The relationship between native peoples and the settlers is nowhere represented as strongly as that image of the Thanksgiving table. Surely that would qualify as a selective interpretation if not an outright myth.

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    VFHwebdev
    10/10/2008 at 3:40 pm

  • The  FIRST OFFICIAL Thanksgiving

    Charlestown, Massachusetts

    June 29, 1676

    The 1621 feast between the Pilgrims and the Indians was not the first official  Thanksgiving.  On June 20, 1676, following the massacre over King Philip and  700-800 Pequot Indians in Connecticut, the council of Charlestown, Massachusetts unanimously voted to proclaim June 29. 1676, as a day of celebration and Thanksgiving. The following statement was read:  

    “The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series of his Afflictive dispensations in and by the present Warr with the Heathen Natives of this land, written and brought to pass bitter things against his own Covenant people in this wilderness, yet so that we evidently discern that in the midst of his judgments he hath remembered mercy, having remembered his Footstool in the day of his sore displeasure against us for our sins, with many singular Intimations of his Fatherly Compassion, and regard; reserving many of our Towns from Desolation Threatened, and attempted by the Enemy, and giving us especially of late with many of our Confederates many signal Advantages against them, without such Disadvantage to ourselves as formerly we have been sensible of, if it be the Lord’s mercy that we are not consumed, It certainly bespeaks our positive our positive Thankfulness, when our Enemies are in any measure disappointed or destroyed; and fearing the Lord should take notice under so many Intimations of his returning mercy, we should be found an Insensible people, as not standing before Him with Thanksgiving, as well as lading him with our Complaints in the time of pressing Afflictions.”ulness, when our Enemies are in any measure disappointed or destroyed; and fearing the Lord should take notice under so many Intimations of his returning mercy, we should be found an Insensible people, as not standing before

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    GB
    10/17/2008 at 12:19 pm

  • This is one of those national myths that is very close to the facts. It was a harvest celebration in Plymouth in the fall of 1621, which was probably not all that different from such celebrations traditionally held by most cultures — which is why when the Wampanoags showed up they understood and participated in the event. As reported by Nathaniel Morton in a letter to a friend in England . . .

    “Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others.”

    Turkeys? Perhaps. But clearly deer was feasted on for those three days. And the Natives and the newcomers did get along and hang out together. Unfortunately, this spirit of friendship didn’t last. Oh, and those 90 Wampanoag warriors vastly outnumbered the Englishmen left alive in Plymouth (not to mention those still sick and barely able to stand), so it’s not too surprising that the settlers told the Massasoit that it was fine if they celebrated together.

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    Daniel Mandell
    10/17/2008 at 1:00 pm

  • What about the 1619 (if my memory recalls the proper date) celebration in Virginia, which I believe was mandated by The Virginia Company in instructions to the colonists?

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    Robert E. Jordan
    10/19/2008 at 3:58 pm

  • Surely the American holiday of Thanksgiving simply has its roots in the Harvest or Thanksgiving service that occurs in the autumn in most Anglican churches, intertwined with foundational myths of racial harmony (which we however would like to be true) and served with a dollop of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?

    ?

    I know it’s much more complicated than I’m making out…looking forward to hearing the program. It’ll be my only Thanksgiving Day treat now that I’ve moved to Singapore, so bring it on History Guys!!

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    Danielle De Feo
    11/6/2008 at 12:27 pm

  • Massachusetts may claim the first official Thanksgiving, but the Continental Congress, after being driven out of Philadelphia by the British, and while Washington and the Continental Army were holed up at Valley Forge, were quite thankful for the results of the Battle(s) of Saratoga, and subsequently enacted the first national Thanksgiving proclamation from (my hometown) York, Pennsylvania.

    Picture of historical marker:
    http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=4549

    Inscription:

    The First National Thanksgiving
    Was proclaimed from York by the Continental Congress on November 1, 1777 to be celebrated on Thursday, December 18. It was written by Sam Adams of Massachusetts. “The Father of the Revolution,” who advocated for the first time “one day of public thanksgiving” for all of the states after the battle of Saratoga. “That with one heart and one voice the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts.”

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    Tim Ehlenbeck
    11/12/2008 at 4:12 pm

  • And don’t forget the Fantasticals — they make it really interesting. Were they really led by cross-dressers? Why did kids trick or treat for Thanksgiving in New York on Thanksgiving before it was moved to Halloween? I’ve wanted to know more . . . !

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    Laurie Carlson
    11/13/2008 at 10:45 am

  • Arrrrrgh……. The Thanksgiving stories are still overpowered by the New England lobby. The ink is hardly dry on the celebration of 400 years of English America — Jamestowne for you NE folks, and we are off again on how Thanksgiving comes from New England. And come on, the FIRST Thanksgiving in 1676 in New England???!!!!! I go along with bumper sticker which came a few years ago out shortly after scientists decided PLUTO was no longer a planet. “Honk if you think Pluto is still a planet.” I say “Honk, if you think the first REAL thanksgiving was at Jamestowne!!!!!!!”

    On a more serious note, I think the idea for this website, or whatever it is, it just terrific. For all too long, there has apparently been an unwritten rule of historians, that there must be pain associated with teaching, learning, and sharing history. I say more power to the guys and gals who have created this romp.

    Chawnzmit – The Trumpeter of Jamestowne

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    Randy Cabell
    11/25/2008 at 4:45 pm

  • President John F. Kennedy officially recognized the first Thanksgiving as occurring in 1619 at Berkeley Plantation in Charles City County, Virginia. The evidence was recognized as such by historian Arthur Schlesinger. This Pilgrim/Northeast-centric claim is 2 years later than the Berkeley event.

    But, what they hey, why let the truth stand in the way of persistent public inculcation.

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    Lyle Browning
    11/26/2008 at 12:29 am

  • Anybody know the title and artist of the reggae song at the outro of this Thanksgiving program? “Thank you Lord, for watching over me…. Thank you Lord, for what you’ve done for me… Thank you Lord, etc., etc.”

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    jaluv
    11/26/2009 at 2:48 pm

  • Anybody know the title and artist of the reggae song at the outro of this Thanksgiving program? “Thank you Lord, for watching over me…. Thank you Lord, for what you’ve done for me… Thank you Lord, etc., etc.”

    I just listened to the show and came here to post the same comment. Is there any information about the song that is played in the outro?

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    Chris
    7/24/2010 at 8:43 pm

  • Anybody know the title and artist of the reggae song at the outro of this Thanksgiving program? “Thank you Lord, for watching over me…. Thank you Lord, for what you’ve done for me… Thank you Lord, etc., etc.”

    I just listened to the show and came here to post the same comment. Is there any information about the song that is played in the outro?

    That would be Bob Marley’s “Thank You, Lord”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voPE1GaKTjU

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    Catherine, Assistant Producer
    8/3/2010 at 9:59 am

  • This is a repeat from 11-23-09 “American as Pumpkin Pie: A History of Thanksgiving” I would like to hear something new, you could have did an episode from the native american tribes perspective or what else contributed to our present version of the holiday.

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    Steven
    11/21/2010 at 8:25 pm

  • I just listened to the C-span3 radio show about the tradition of Thanksgiving in America. A question for you-what did/do the native Americans think about this annual event? Seems to me they might be offended at the “role” given to them. Thanks

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    anne ueltschi
    11/24/2011 at 1:06 pm

  • Hey,

    This is an amazing program that can be used in ESL advanced classes.

    Thank you!

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    dorina
    11/21/2012 at 2:13 pm

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