Do you know the real meaning of Thanksgiving?

Question

I ask because many have been indoctrinated to believe falsehoods.
 


Thanksgiving. Where did it come from? 



Plymouth Colony, modern-day Massachusettes, the year: 1620. One of the traditions the Pilgrims had brought with them from England was a practice known as “farming in common.” The Plymouth Plantation was initially set up as a collectivist system. Pilgrims would farm their food and place the fruits of their labor in one community pool; where the government
 rationed the harvest based on need. Plymouth County Governor William Bradford writing his history of the colony in "Of Plimoth Plantation," said: “[in 1621] the taking away of property, and bringing in community into a common wealth, would make them happy and flourishing.” 

Instead of happiness and flourishing under this socialist system, many Pilgrims faked illness or stole instead of working in the fields to produce food. Governor William Bradford later wrote that the colony was filled with "corruption," and with "confusion and discontent." He stated that the crops were so small because “much was stolen both by night and day, before it became scarce eatable." 

After 2 brutally weak harvests of '21 and '22 where HALF of the Pilgrims died, it was Spring of 1623 when Governor Bradford "began to think how they might raise as much corn as they could, and obtain a better crop than they had done, that they might not still thus languish in misery.” In 1623, after much debate, a new system was set up in which every family was assigned a parcel of land, and whatever they produced belonged to the family. 

Gov. Bradford then observed, "The women now went willingly into the field, and took their little ones with them to set corn; which before would allege weakness and inability; whom to have compelled would have been thought great tyranny and oppression." Bradford continued: “This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been by any means the Governor or any other could use, and saved him a great deal of trouble, and gave far better content.” The colonists actually produced so much food in 1623 and 1624 that they starting exporting corn and traded the excess harvests for furs and other desired commodities.

After Gov. Bradford's establishment of a capitalistic free market system, harvests were so bountiful that Bradford is credited with establishing what we now call Thanksgiving.

Rebecca of Faraway Farm · Accepted Answer

the origination of a colonists' Fall Harvest event of giving Thanks to a God of the Western Religious heritage goes back to 447 years ago (September 8, 1565)

 "St Augustine, Florida USA celebrated the 447th anniversary of its founding to the day on Saturday, September the 8th, 2012. The weekend was full of events at the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park complete with demonstrations throughout the 16th century encampment showcasing military life. Nearby at the Mission Nombre de Dios an actual reenactment of Pedro Menendez de Aviles’ landing in 1565 took place along with a processional showcasing Pedro Menendez’s Casket Headboard, which was recently returned to the Mission Grounds after restoration.

Another highlight of the weekend festivities was the reenactment of America’s First Thanksgiving held at the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park, which has been established by archaeologists as the site of the earliest Menendez encampment after he landed on September 8, 1565. According to history books and social studies teachers in elementary many of us learned that the First Thanksgiving was in Plymouth Rock. Local St Augustinians and historians are beginning to disagree. Because St Augustine was founded in 1565, it is 42 years older than Jamestown, VA and 55 years older than Plymouth Rock and the landing of the Pilgrims. We have to realize that this is where it all began. The spokesman for the FOY historic landmark - John Stavely states that ““Archaeology has shown this to be the original colony site at the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park”. “Because this is also the original site of Seloy Native American Village it is certainly possible that Pedro Menendez de Aviles our founder and his men held a First Thanksgiving right here at this very site of the re-enactment."

Mackenzie · Answer

Actuall, the Pilgrims are not the reason we have Thanksgiving.

They did not have the 1st Thanksgiving, not even on this continent.

The REAL reason we celebrate Thanksgiving is because in the 1800s, Sarah Hale, magazine editor, went on a 40 year letter writing campaign to establish it as a holiday... she felt the Industrial Revolutio was eroding American values and we needed a celebration focused on hearth & home. 

Lincoln gave it to her in the 1860s... and Congress finally passed it in the 1930s.

And the history books latched onto a romanticized story about Pilgrims and THEIR first Thanksgiving, and somehow that was mistaken as THE first Thanksgiving.

They only had one dinner... and there wasn't another one for over 120 years. And it was over 200 years before it became a holiday. 

Or if you really want to go back further than that, the roots of the holiday is in harvest festivals.

Sweet n Sour · Answer

For all of these holidays, how they started, or what interpretation of events happened anciently, matters less than what we make of them now.  We are not celebrating hatred or promoting it by having a lovely dinner with family and friends, donating to food banks, and sharing our table with others.  By your actions you build your character and your integrity, not by the actions of others lifetimes ago.

Lady · Answer

Love, family,friends and being thankful for what we have and who we have in our life. Joy.

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Do you know the real meaning of Thanksgiving?

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