I'm probably late coming in on this one - just read the version of the "Thanksgiving History" which was posted. Boy, where do I start with the inaccuracies below??? Although I do realize an attempt was made at humour... even attempts at humour should be accurate when relating historical events. I'm sure most of you have already spotted the errors, but in case some haven't, please do not use the details in the post below as relating a true historical account of the Thanksgiving of 1621. Just to quickly cite a few of the obvious "problems" below....they were Separatists, not Puritans; approx. 50 survived the first winter and spring, not 56; it was not the last Thanksgiving "for many years to come" although it may have been the only one at which such a large number of Indians were present. (Days of thanksgiving were often held.) Scrounge up eating utensils for 147 people & find enough tables & chairs???? I don't think I need to cover that one! No turkeys?? There most certainly WERE turkeys at this meal - we have this straight from Gov. Bradford where he relates there was a "great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many". Susan E. Roser www.rootsweb.com/~canms/canada.html ----- Original Message ----- From: "Betty White" <bwhite@westelcom.com> To: <MAYFLOWER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, November 28, 2002 10:29 AM Subject: [MFLR] Fw: Thanksgiving History > > > >The Way I See It > > > >By Sharon Bouchard > > > > > > > > It's that time of the year when the chief cooks and bottle washers of > > the households turn to browse through recipes in anticipation of > > Thanksgiving dinner. Boy, it's hard to believe that it's just two weeks > > away. It always seems to sneak up on us as a big surprise, yet we have > been > > giving thanks on the same Thursday in November for how long? Since 1621? > > Well, not exactly. > > > > > > > > The history books tell us that the Pilgrims celebrated the first > > Thanksgiving feast in the fall of 1621 to give thanks for the bountiful > > harvest and for those who survived the first year in the new land. The > > history books also tell us that Massasoit, chief of the Wampanong tribe > and > > ninety of his braves were invited guests at the first feast. There is no > > mention of the Wampanog women. > > > > > > > > The history books further tell us that Thanksgiving of 1621 was not > only > > the first, but also the last celebration of its kind for many years to > come. > > The story goes that though the first harvest was bountiful, the harvests > for > > the next several years were poor and the influx of new immigrants creating > > new mouths to feed prevented the celebration of Thanksgiving being held on > > an annual basis. That's what the history books tell us, but I have my own > > theory on that subject. > > > > > > > > It has been documented that of the 102 original Pilgrims that landed > in > > Plymouth, only 56 were left by the fall of 1621. Of the 56, only 4 were > > adult women and there were 2 teenage girls. As previously mentioned, > Chief > > Massasoit and 90 of his braves were guests at that first Thanksgiving > > dinner. A little quick addition will tell you that 56 Pilgrims and 91 > > Indians equals 147 people to be cooked for by 4 women and 2 teenage girls. > > > > > > > > If I had been one of those Pilgrim women, I can tell you I wouldn't > have > > been too crazy about cooking for that kind of crowd ever again. I have a > > feeling that those sweet Puritan ladies probably staged the first women's > > protest in the fall of 1622 when told to prepare another banquet. > > > > > > > > I mean, consider what they went through on that first feast. They had > > to do all the pre-Thanksgiving cleaning, even huts and crude cabins had to > > be cleaned. Then they had to scrounge up enough eating utensils to > service > > 147 people, not to mention finding enough tables and chairs. It's not > like > > they could just call their local rental place to get them. > > > > > > > > Then the cooking had to be done. The menu consisted of ducks and > geese > > (there is no proof that they had turkey) lobsters, clams, bass, corn, > green > > vegetables, venison, cranberries, boiled pumpkins and dried fruit. They > had > > run out of flour that they had brought from the old country so they didn't > > have to bake any pies or bread (small blessing). However, they did have > to > > make some type of fritter by boiling corn into a mash and then frying it > in > > venison fat. This foodscape had to be abundant enough to feed 147 people. > > > > > > > > Just think about that! No gas or electric range, no microwave, no > > electric mixers or blenders, no pre-mixed pre-packaged, canned or frozen > > anything. > > > > > > > > Even though the men did the hunting, who do you suppose gutted and > > plucked the ducks and geese? Who do you think gutted and cut-up the > > venison? Who would you guess cleaned the fish, clams and lobsters and, > who > > I ask you, do you think picked all the vegetables? I'll tell you. Four > > women and 2 teenage girls, that's who. This little sit-down shindig for > 147 > > people was cooked in cast iron pots over open fire by 4 women and 2 > > teenagers. I find that absolutely amazing. > > > > > > > > Then of course there was the cleanup after the meal and all those > dishes > > to be washed. We're not talking about use of a dishwasher here, we're not > > even talking about a sink with hot and cold running water. Pots of > boiling > > water that had to be lugged from the local creek, that's what we're > talking > > about. > > > > > > > > And just what do you think the 141 men and boys were doing while the 4 > > women and 2 girls were doing dishes? They were playing games! I kid you > > not! According to the history books good old Miles Standish and his > > settlers and good old Chief Massasoit and his braves were playing games > > while the women cleaned up. They had foot races and jumping matches, > > shooting and bow and arrow contests. They filled their bellies and then > > proceeded to have themselves one heck of a good time. The women did all > the > > work while the men enjoyed fun and games. Does that sound familiar? > > > > > > > > Well, the way I figure it, by the time the next Thanksgiving rolled > > around and Miles and the boys wanted to invite Massasoit and his boys over > > for a little dinner and a few games, the women protested and maybe even > went > > on strike. And that's probably why the first Thanksgiving was the last > one > > for many, many years. You won't find that notion in the history books, > but > > it is history the way I see it. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ______________________________