Topic > Understanding the History of the First Thanksgiving

During elementary school, I was unable to fully understand the history of the first Thanksgiving. I was a foreigner with little ability to read, write, listen and understand English. However, I remember reading a book about it in Korean in third grade. The book described the first thanksgiving as a blessing that comes from failure. The English settlers on the Mayflower left England for the New World to free themselves from religious oppression within the Anglican Church. While they brought many supplies, winter came. Unprepared for the unknown climate, the pilgrims suffered through the winter. Much of their food spoiled, and many colonists died of disease. Because of their little knowledge of the land, they did not know what crops could grow in that climate and were too afraid of the bloodthirsty warring native Indians to ask them for help. Just when they were about to starve, a friendly tribe saw the pilgrims suffering and helped them. They gave them corn, taught them different farming methods, and showed them the hunting grounds. As a sign of their return, the pilgrims organized a great feast and invited the tribe to honor and thank them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the article “First “National Day of Mourning” Held in Plymouth” on Mass Moments, the author focuses the story of the first Thanksgiving through the perspective of a third person observing both the native Indians and the Pilgrims of the Mayflower. Unlike the traditional Thanksgiving story, this article focuses more on the “truth” of the event that actually happened. The article aims to find the flaws in the traditional Thanksgiving story and provides the "real facts" as seen by historians. Additionally, the article introduces the perspective of native Indians, talking about tribes who “regarded all nature as a sacred gift from the Creator” and hosted thanksgiving celebrations before the Pilgrims arrived in North America. To support his point, the author includes facts supported by dates and very descriptive images. This creates the feeling that the author has a very deep understanding of Thanksgiving and has a lot of information and research. Additionally, the author cites quotes and sources from settlers, researchers, and historians, increasing the credibility of the information presented in the article. This helps the interpretation of the story by showing the different views of Thanksgiving and shows the flaws of the traditional Thanksgiving story.