GIVING THANKS....

The Thanksgiving Story

Quoted from the fifth book in The Bennett Vignettes--The Apple of His Eye

“The Pilgrim fathers, who celebrated the first thanksgiving in America, were fleeing religious persecution in their native England. In 1609, a group of Pilgrims left England for the religious freedom given them in The Netherlands, where for many years they lived and prospered both physically and spiritually. In time, their children were speaking the Dutch language and were becoming more and more attached to the Dutch way of life. This greatly concerned the Pilgrims. Though the freedom of religion was what drew them, the Dutch way of life gave liberties that simply were not in keeping with Bible standards, adversely effecting the children’s education and morality.

“The Pilgrim leaders made the difficult decision to leave Holland and travel to the New World. On September sixth, 1620, the Pilgrims set sail for the New World on a ship called the Mayflower. They sailed from Plymouth, England with a group of forty-four Pilgrims, who referred to themselves with the Bible term ‘Saints’, and sixty-six others, whom the Pilgrims likewise dubbed with a Bible term, ‘Strangers’.

“The transatlantic journey aboard the Mayflower was cold and damp, and it took some sixty-five days to accomplish. Since there was an ever-present danger of fire on a wooden ship, the food had to be eaten cold. Many passengers became weak and sickly, and one person even died by the time land was sighted on November tenth.

“The long trip led to many disagreements between the ‘Saints’ and the ‘Strangers’. After land was sighted, a meeting was held; and the first governmental document was drawn up, called the Mayflower Compact. This guaranteed certain rights to all the newcomers, and in doing so it unified the two groups. They joined together and named themselves the ‘Pilgrims’.

“Although they had first sighted land off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the Pilgrims did not choose a settlement until they arrived at Plymouth. This area had been so named by Captain John Smith in 1614. Plymouth offered a first-rate harbor. A large brook offered a resource for fish. But the Pilgrims’ greatest concern was a fear of attack by the local Native Americans, known as the Patuxets.
These were a peaceful people, however, and did not prove to be a threat.

“The first winter was devastating for the Pilgrim settlers. The winter storms were exceptionally heavy, impeding the workers’ progress as they attempted to construct their settlement. March brought warmer weather, and the health of the Pilgrims improved; but many had died during the long winter. Of the one hundred and ten Pilgrims and crew who left England, fewer than fifty survived that first winter.

“On March sixteenth of 1621, an Indian brave walked into the Plymouth settlement. The Pilgrims were frightened until the Indian called out ‘Welcome’ in their native tongue of English. The brave’s name was Samoset, and he was an Abnaki Indian. He had learned English from the captains of fishing boats that had sailed off the coast. After staying the night with the Pilgrims, Samoset left the next day. He soon returned with another Indian named Squanto, who it was soon discovered spoke even better English than Samoset. Squanto told the Pilgrims of his travels across the ocean, having visited England and Spain.
It was in England that he had learned the English language.

“Squanto’s importance to the Pilgrims was immense. He was without doubt the one who helped the Pilgrims survive in the New World. It was Squanto who taught them how to tap the maple trees for sap. He taught them which plants were poisonous and which had medicinal uses. He also taught them agricultural know-how, much of it having to do with growing corn, which quickly became a staple.

“The harvest in October was blessedly successful, and the Pilgrims even had enough food to put away for the winter. There was corn, fruits and vegetables, fish to be packed in salt, and meat to be cured in smokehouses.

“The Pilgrims had so much to give thanks for. They were blessed with religious freedom, had homes in the wilderness, farmed well enough to raise plenty of crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter, and developed a peace with their Indian neighbors. Yes, it was time to give thanks for the harvest so bountifully provided.

“Governor William Bradford proclaimed an official day of thanksgiving to be shared by all the colonists and the neighboring Native Americans. Squanto and the other Indians were invited to join the Pilgrims in their celebration. The Indian chief, Massasoit, and ninety braves took part in the joyful observance, which lasted for three days that first
year and more than likely took place in mid-October.

“In the following years, the harvests were varying; but on that third year in the New World, November twenty-ninth was proclaimed an official day of thanksgiving. This date is accepted as the true beginning of the present day Thanksgiving Day.

“The custom of an annually celebrated giving of thanks following harvest continued through the years. During the America’s War for Independence, a day of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress.

“By the middle of the Nineteenth Century, many states had begun celebrating Thanksgiving Day. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln appointed the first official, national day of thanksgiving. Since then, Thanksgiving Day has become an annual event, designating the fourth Thursday of each November
for the holiday’s official observance."