The True Story of America’s Thanksgiving Holiday 11-24-23, What the first Thanksgiving was really about was William Bradford and Plymouth Colony thanking God for their blessings; nothing wrong with being grateful to the Indians - but what George Washington recognized in his first Thanksgiving proclamation – God’s provision. [1] The story begins in the early part of the seventeenth century when the Church of England under King James I was persecuting anyone and everyone who did not recognize his absolute civil and religious authority; as the first Pilgrims were fundamental Christian rebels. Those who challenged the king’s ecclesiastical authority strongly believing in freedom of worship were hunted down, imprisoned and sometimes executed for their beliefs. A group of separatist Christians who didn’t buy into the Church of England or live under the rule of King James first fled to Holland establishing a community there. However, after eleven years, about forty of them having heard about this New World Christopher Columbus had discovered, decided to follow after him. The forty agreed to make a perilous journey to the New World, where [they knew] they would certainly face hardships, but the reason they did it was so they could live and worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences and beliefs. On August 1, 1620, the Mayflower set sail carrying 102 passengers including forty “Pilgrims” led by William Bradford. Bradford set up an agreement, a contract establishing how they would live once they arrived. The contract set forth just and equal laws for all members of the new community. The source of the Mayflower Compact was derived from the Holy Bible as they were devoutly religious. They were completely steeped in the lessons of the Old and New Testaments. They looked to the ancient Israelites for their example. And, because of the biblical precedents set forth in Scripture, they never doubted that their experiment would work; because they believed in God and were in His hands. The trip was arduous – there was sickness and death; more than half of the crew died and only 53 passengers arrived at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts. [2] According to Bradford’s detailed journal they arrived at a cold, desolate wilderness – there was no food or shelter; there was nothing. “[T]he sacrifice they had made for freedom was just beginning. During the first winter, half the Pilgrims — including Bradford’s own wife — died of either starvation, sickness or exposure.” They endured that first winter. “When spring finally came,” they had, by that time, met the indigenous people, the Indians, and indeed the “Indians taught the settlers how to plant corn, fish for cod and skin beavers” and other animals “for coats.” Modern American history lessons in some textbooks report that the Pilgrims gave thanks to the Indians for saving their lives, rather than what it really was. That happened, don’t misunderstand, that did happene, but that’s not according to William Bradford’s journal. What they ultimately gave thanks for has been omitted from the textbooks … it was the original contract that they made on the Mayflower with their merchant-sponsors in London. Because they had no money on their own, they needed a sponsor. The merchants in London were making an investment, and as such, the Pilgrims agreed that “everything they produced to go into a common store,” or bank, common account, “and each member of the community was entitled to one common share” in this bank. Out of this, the merchants would be repaid until their debt was repaid. “All of the land they cleared and the houses they built belong to the community as well.” Everything belonged to everybody and everybody had one share in it. They were going to distribute it equally.” That was considered to be the epitome of fairness, sharing the hardship burdens and everything. “Nobody owned anything. It was a commune. It was the forerunner to the communes we saw in the ’60s and ’70s out in California,” and other parts of the country, “and it was complete with organic vegetables. Bradford’s journals chronicle the reasons it didn’t work. Bradford, the new governor of the colony, recognized that it wasn’t working. It “was as costly and destructive…” because some worked and some didn’t. Ultimately “Bradford assigned a plot of land” to fix this - “to each family to work and manage,” as their own. He got rid of the whole commune structure and “assigned a plot of land to each family to work and manage,” and whatever they made, however much they made, was theirs. They could sell it, they could share it, they could keep it, whatever they wanted to do. The ‘free market’ was born. Bradford wrote: ‘For this community [so far as it was] was found to breed much confusion and discontent, and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort. For young men that were most able and fit for labor and service did repine that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men’s wives and children without any recompense,'” without any payment, “‘that was thought injustice.’ Why should you work for other people when you can’t work for yourself? What’s the point? … The Pilgrims found that people could not be expected to do their best work without incentive. There was no mass slaughtering of the Indians or wiping out of the indigenous people and eventually — in William Bradford’s own journal it’s reported that the unleashing of the industriousness of all hands ended up producing more than they could ever need themselves. The Puritan kids had relationships with the children of the Native Americans and the reports of killing the indigenous people and the wars happened much, much, much later. With the free enterprise in effect in no time, the Pilgrims found they had more food than they could eat themselves. So they set up trading posts and exchanged goods with the Indians and soon the profits allowed them to pay off their debts to the London merchants. In October 1621 Pilgrim Edward Winslow--the only account of the first “Thanksgiving - he wrote: "our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labors...at which time amongst other recreations, we exercised our Arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoyt, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our Governor, and upon the Captain and others. ... And although it be not always so plentiful, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plenty." ** The Pilgrims used something called The Book of Common Prayer created in 1549 as well as the Bible. Their first prayer: “General Thanksgiving:” [3] “Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we Your unworthy servants give You humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom You have made. We bless You for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for Your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth Your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to Your service, and by walking before You in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to Whom, with You and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.” [1] October 3, 1789, George Washington’s first Thanksgiving Proclamation George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation | Smithsonian Institution (si.edu) [2] History.com The Pilgrims - America, Definition & Land | HISTORY [3] First Thanksgiving prayer of the Pilgrims: (1662, p. 43). A Pilgrim Prayer of Thanksgiving – MGMBC George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation | Smithsonian Institution (si.edu) 11-23-23 Happy Thanksgiving and history: What the first Thanksgiving was really about was William Bradford and Plymouth Colony thanking God for His blessings; nothing wrong with being grateful to the Indians - but what the Pilgrims and later George Washington recognized in his first Thanksgiving proclamation – God’s provision thanking the Lord Jesus by name. love, Annette ** Bill Wilson, Daily Jot, https://dailyjot.com/?p=478
President Washington Proclamation: https://www.mountvernon.org/education/primary-source-collections/primary-source-collections/article/thanksgiving-proclamation-of-1789/ *** 11-29-23, Ole Joe Biden leaves out almighty God in the annual THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION ... sad. Comments are closed.
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![]() 7-8-21-21, Israel has only 8000 square miles of land - the Muslims have 5 million. Yet, they also want the Jews land. Of all the nations of the world, the Lord chose the descendants of Jacob [Jews], not Ishmael [Muslims], to be His covenant people - the descendants of Abraham and wife Sarah. (Genesis 17:19-21; Malachi 1:1–5).
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