December 11, 1621, as noted by Edward Winslow, was the date of the real Thanksgiving meal. Later in time, the date would be changed. But what is the French the connection? According to Nathaniel Philbrick, a historian on the pilgrims, the pilgrims when they landed in the New World, discovered the bodies of two dead Frenchmen plus a stash of corn. They did not disturb the dead and took some of the corn. They had landed in a part of Massachusetts that had been abandoned by the American Indians, the Wampanoag, led by Massasoit. Was there a disease that struck the two unfortunate soldiers. Why did the Wampanoag flee that land? It is not known. But the pilgrims braved the landing and set up defenses and the first encounter with the Indians in the area was tentative but nonviolent. A fairly good relationship was forged and the first pilgrims never really found wealth, but they were able to establish their community and experience religious freedom, and to live in relationship to the Wampanoag. Edward Winslow 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. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, 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 were partakers of our plenty.”
When I reflect on this piece of history, I honor my own ancestors and learn a little bit more about other people and how they lived. History is a story of bravery and has many dimensions to the human experience. Visit Plimoth Patuxet in Plymouth, Massachusetts and come to understand early history of the New World.