With the Thanksgiving season upon us, it is a possibility that many will forget that the holiday wasn’t always about turkey, cranberry sauce and giving thanks. The history of Thanksgiving is often simplified, and its complex origins can easily be overlooked during the chaos of the season.
The first Thanksgiving feast took place in 1621, and while it has come to be remembered as a symbol of unity between the Pilgrims and Native Americans, the reality was not so. The feast was not a celebration of friendship, but rather a political move, as the Wampanoag people and the English settlers, who were struggling to survive in the harsh winters, formed an alliance.
This feast established a brief period of peace between the two groups, but the tension was never truly gone. The relationship between the Wampanoag people and the Pilgrims grew strained, but the real motive of the first Thanksgiving is often distorted or romanticized.
Another misconception about Thanksgiving is that after the first, the feast became an annual holiday. While Pilgrims continued to hold feasts and celebrations, the gatherings were not annual like holidays today. The idea of a national Thanksgiving holiday didn’t form for several centuries.
Over many years the tradition began to gain in popularity. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed every fourth Thursday of November be a day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens,” as a way to unite the nation during the Civil War.
However, in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt attempted to improve the economy during the Great Depression by moving Thanksgiving up a week, thus extending the holiday shopping season. Instead, this shift caused confusion across the country. Some states chose to follow the new date, while others stuck with the traditional date. The confusion led to a backlash, and in 1941, Congress passed a law officially declaring Thanksgiving be observed on the fourth Thursday of November.
The evolution of Thanksgiving from a one-time feast of allies to the national holiday we recognize today has been shaped by political decisions, economic factors, and the changing needs of the American people. As we celebrate, it is important to acknowledge that the holiday’s roots go far beyond the turkey on our table.
The history of Thanksgiving is intertwined with the stories of indigenous peoples and early settlers, so as we gather for Thanksgiving this year, we can remember its historical context and reflect on its deeper meaning.