HistoryofThanksgivingDayThanksgivingDayinAmericaisatimetoofferthanks,offamilygatheringsandholidaymeals.Atimeofturkeys,stuffing,andpumpkinpie.AtimeforIndiancorn,holidayparadesandgiantballoons.Thanksgivingiscelebratedonthe4thThursdayofNovember,whichthisyear(2005)isNovember24th.ThePilgrimswhosailedtothiscountryaboardtheMayflowerwereoriginallymembersoftheEnglishSeparatistChurch(aPuritansect).TheyhadearlierfledtheirhomeinEnglandandsailedtoHolland(TheNetherlands)toescapereligiouspersecution.There,theyenjoyedmorereligioustolerance,buttheyeventuallybecamedisenchantedwiththeDutchwayoflife,thinkingitungodly.Seekingabetterlife,theSeparatistsnegotiatedwithaLondonstockcompanytofinanceapilgrimagetoAmerica.MostofthosemakingthetripaboardtheMayflowerwerenon-Separatists,butwerehiredtoprotectthecompany'sinterests.Onlyaboutone-thirdoftheoriginalcolonistswereSeparatists.ThePilgrimssetgroundatPlymouthRockonDecember11,1620.Theirfirstwinterwasdevastating.Atthebeginningofthefollowingfall,theyhadlost46oftheoriginal102whosailedontheMayflower.Buttheharvestof1621wasabountifulone.Andtheremainingcolonistsdecidedtocelebratewithafeast--including91IndianswhohadhelpedthePilgrimssurvivetheirfirstyear.ItisbelievedthatthePilgrimswouldnothavemadeitthroughtheyearwithoutthehelpofthenatives.ThefeastwasmoreofatraditionalEnglishharvestfestivalthanatrue"thanksgiving"observance.Itlastedthreedays.GovernorWilliamBradfordsent"fourmenfowling"afterwildducksandgeese.Itisnotcertainthatwildturkeywaspartoftheirfeast.However,itiscertainthattheyhadvenison.Theterm"turkey"wasusedbythePilgrimstomeananysortofwildfowl.AnothermodernstapleatalmosteveryThanksgivingtableispumpkinpie.Butitisunlikelythatthefirstfeastincludedthattreat.Thesupplyofflourhadbeenlongdiminished,sotherewasnobreadorpastriesofanykind.However,theydideatboiledpumpkin,andtheyproducedatypeoffriedbreadfromtheircorncrop.Therewasalsonomilk,cider,potatoes,orbutter.Therewasnodomesticcattlefordairyproducts,andthenewly-discoveredpotatowasstillconsideredbymanyEuropeanstobepoisonous.Butthefeastdidincludefish,berries,watercress,lobster,driedfruit,clams,venison,andplums.This"thanksgiving"feastwasnotrepeatedthefollowingyear.Butin1623,duringaseveredrought,thepilgrimsgatheredinaprayerservice,prayingforrain.Whenalong,steadyrainfollowedtheverynextday,GovernorBradfordproclaimedanotherdayofThanksgiving,againinvitingtheirIndianfriends.Itwasn'tuntilJuneof1676thatanotherDayofThanksgivingwasproclaimed.OnJune20,1676,thegoverningcouncilofCharlestown,Massachusetts,heldameetingtodeterminehowbesttoexpressthanksforthegoodfortunethathadseentheircommunitysecurelyestablished.ByunanimousvotetheyinstructedEdwardRawson,theclerk,toproclaimJune29asadayofthanksgiving.ItisnotablethatthisthanksgivingcelebrationprobablydidnotincludetheIndians,asthecelebrationwasmeantpartlytobeinrecognitionofthecolonists'recentvictoryoverthe"heathennatives,"Octoberof1777markedthefirsttimethatall13coloniesjoinedinathanksgivingcelebration.ItalsocommemoratedthepatrioticvictoryovertheBritishatSaratoga.Butitwasaone-timeaffair.ItwasSarahJosephaHale,amagazineeditor,whoseeffortseventuallyledtowhatwerecognizeasThanksgiving.HalewrotemanyeditorialschampioninghercauseinherBostonLadies'Magazine,andlater,inGodey'sLady'sBook.Finally,aftera40-yearcampaignofwritingeditorialsandletterstogovernorsandpresidents,Hale'sobsessionbecamearealitywhen,in1863,PresidentLincolnproclaimedthelastThursdayinNovemberasanationaldayofThanksgiving.GeorgeWashingtonproclaimedaNationalDayofThanksgivingin1789,althoughsomewereopposedtoit.Therewasdiscordamongthecolonies,manyfeelingthehardshipsofafewPilgrimsdidnotwarrantanationalholiday.Andlater,PresidentThomasJeffersonscoffedattheideaofhavingadayofthanksgiving.ThanksgivingwasproclaimedbyeverypresidentafterLincoln.Thedatewaschangedacoupleoftimes,mostrecentlybyFranklinRoosevelt,whosetituponeweektothenext-to-lastThursdayinordertocreatealongerChristmasshoppingseason.PublicuproaragainstthisdecisioncausedthepresidenttomoveThanksgivingbacktoitsoriginaldatetwoyearslater.Andin1941,ThanksgivingwasfinallysanctionedbyCongressasalegalholiday,asthefourthThursdayinNovember.
