November 2026 Newsletter – Eco Friendly Fire Pits Warm Your Winter Evenings

The real history behind Thanksgiving moves past the myth of a friendly, single-day harvest meal into a complex story of political alliance, survival, and the romanticizing of colonial relations.

The First Feast Lasted Three Days
The famous 1621 harvest celebration between the Pilgrims and roughly 90 Wampanoag men lasted for three full days. It was not called “Thanksgiving” by attendees, but rather a traditional English and Indigenous celebration of a successful crop. The Wampanoag actually helped the colonists learn how to plant and survive, but peace was built on mutual defense against rival native groups.

Turkey Was Likely Not the Main Dish
Historical records show the original 1621 feast included venison (deer), waterfowl, fish, shellfish, and local squashes or corn.

The Breakdown of Peace
As colonial populations expanded, the treaties broke down. Land seizures led to devastating conflicts, which decimated Indigenous populations in New England.

National Day of Mourning
Because of this painful history of displacement and loss, many Native Americans view Thanksgiving differently. Since 1970, many Indigenous people and their allies have observed a National Day of Mourning in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on the same Thursday to honor ancestors and protest the sanitization of colonial history.

Lincoln Made It a National Holiday
In November 1863, during the height of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln officially proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday, using it as a tool to foster national unity, largely due to a 17-year letter-writing campaign by writer and magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale.

Franksgiving” Caused Confusion
In 1939, President Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving one week earlier to stretch the Christmas shopping season during the Great Depression, leading to public split celebrations before Congress locked in the fourth Thursday in 1941.