History

Six surprising facts about the history of Thanksgiving

Many families in America will today celebrate what is believed to be a joyful feast between Pilgrims and Native Americans, though different meanings have been given to the holiday. Thanksgiving Day, for some, is a time to spend with family, give thanks and enjoy delectable recipes. Others look forward to it because it is yet another day away from the pressures of work and school.

Essentially, Thanksgiving is celebrated to give thanks for the fruits of the previous harvest. In America, the celebration dates back to 1621, when the harvest was celebrated by the Pilgrims who had sailed from England on the ship Mayflower in September 1620 and were now settlers of the Plymouth Colony in what’s now called Massachusetts.

But other accounts debunk any sort of happy feast between Pilgrims and the Native Americans at the time and rather describe the situation as white colonists who invaded a land, claimed it as their own, and slaughtered the indigenous people of the land in what is called the Pequot War between the settlers and the natives. Historians do not also agree about when the first Thanksgiving was held.

Here are six things that may surprise you about Thanksgiving:

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Mildred Europa Taylor

Mildred Europa Taylor is a writer and content creator. She loves writing about health and women's issues in Africa and the African diaspora.

Recent Posts

‘It was God’ – Shock as 4-year-old boy survived after his heart stopped beating for 19 hours

Four-year-old Cartier McDaniel from Denver miraculously survived after his heart stopped beating for 19 hours.…

2 days ago

Student to do community service after racially abusing England striker Callum Wilson for passing ball to white teammate

A 21-year-old engineering student, Ibukun Quadri, avoided jail time after racially abusing England striker Callum…

2 days ago

Mom and two daughters make memories working side by side as flight attendants

For the past seven years, Denise Campbell and her two daughters, Chantel and Charnel Johnson,…

2 days ago

The actual reason for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s trip to Nigeria revealed

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have touched down in Lagos, marking their arrival in…

2 days ago

Watch: Popular Atlanta hairstylist gifts free service to client for Mother’s Day

Natiajah, a hairstylist, went viral after giving a free installation to a mother of four…

2 days ago

A look back at Candace Parker’s legendary WNBA career as she takes new job with Adidas following retirement

Get to know Candace Parker; she is a WNBA legend who spent 16 years in…

2 days ago

Jay-Z’s VC firm is close to merging with another entity that will lead to $1B in combined assets: report

Marcy Venture Partners (MVP), which was co-founded by musician turned entrepreneur Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, is…

2 days ago

Long Island pastor, 71, accused of sexually abusing 15-year-old girl in church basement

Authorities in Suffolk County have brought charges against a 71-year-old Long Island pastor accused of…

2 days ago

15-year-old becomes Indiana’s youngest college grad as he earns bachelor’s degree in addition to 3 associate degrees

Khaya Njumbe has become the youngest college graduate in Indiana after receiving a bachelor's degree…

2 days ago

Jury awards $185K to teen who accused deputy of threatening him while filming mom’s arrest

A New Orleans federal jury awarded $185,000 to a teenager who accused a sheriff’s deputy…

2 days ago

Former NBA champion Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis handed 40-month prison sentence over NBA fraud scheme

Former Boston Celtics star Glen "Big Baby" Davis was on Thursday sentenced to 40 months…

3 days ago

San Francisco woman accused of using Target self-checkout to steal over $60,000 of items convicted

Aziza Graves, a 43-year-old from San Francisco, has been found guilty of one felony count…

3 days ago

Meet Llayna and Saniah Maul, the twin sisters graduating as valedictorian and salutatorian

Llayna and Saniah Maul, identical twins, will graduate from Godby High School as valedictorian (top-ranked…

3 days ago

Man suing Floyd Mayweather over alleged assault demands over $3 million in damages

Floyd Mayweather is facing a lawsuit over an alleged assault involving a member of his…

3 days ago

The real reason Angel Reese chose Reebok over Nike in endorsement deal

In 2023, a report from SponsorUnited stated that former LSU star Angel Reese had the most NIL deals of any college basketball player.…

3 days ago