We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner with lots of yummy food, family, (28 in all)
and visiting & some good laughs!! I think the kids had a great time on the zip line that Jon was so kind to put up from one tree to another in the backyard. And I planned a Thanksgiving
Turkey Treasure Hunt for the grandkids they seemed to enjoy & I wanted them to know
also that they had ancestors involved in that first Thanksgiving & they have a great heritage.
I told the story of the first Thanksgiving weaving in 12 clues along the way to help them find
the treasure. They were running all over the property to find the next clue!!
The story goes something like this: The sixteenth & seventeenth centuries were a time of
religious struggle in England. The rulers wanted their subjects to follow the established church,
but some people held different beliefs. They heard stories of a settlement in North America.
This New World promised land, economic opportunity and, most importantly, the hope of
religious freedom. So they decided to cross the oceon and establish a colony of their own.
On September 6, 1620, one hundred and two passengers crowded into the damp quarters of the
ship named "The Mayflower" and departed England on her historic voyage. There were also some hens, goats and two dogs.
Six of our ancestors were passengers on the Mayflower that came to America.
William Bradford, who later became Governor Bradford of the Plymouth Colony & his
wife Dorothy May Bradford. Also, William Brewster and his wife Mary Brewster and two
sons, Love Brewster age 9 and Wrestling Brewster age 6. (This is on the Whetten-Hatch
line for those who don't know) Sooo.......they were some of the first Americans in this
New Land. (I looked up the list of passengers on the Mayflower on line) (Aunt Freda, mom's
sister, was the one who told me the Brewsters were our ancestors also when I was asking
her about Governor Bradford last year.)
So it was a weary group that heard the first cries of "Land ho!" and crowded the railing
for a look at their new home. For 66 days they had been at sea, but on November ll, 1620,
their adventurous journey ended. From the deck of the ship, the passengers gazed at a
bleak landscape. Some of the sailors muttered that the place was filled with wild beasts
and wild men, called "Indians" A few of the passengers talked of returning to England, but
most were determined to stay and soon began to discuss what to do next.
On Friday, December 9, the Pilgrims discovered a small cove. Here was the site they had
been seeking. The Pilgrims spend much of their first winter living aboard the Mayflower.
Toward the middle of March, however, an Indian warrior strode boldly into Plymouth. He
spoke a curious English that was hard for the Pilgrims to understand, but they learned
his name was Samoset. He came on behalf of a tribe called the Pokanoket. He spoke of
another Indian named Squanto who had actually been to England. The Pilgrims fed Samoset and sent him on his way with gifts. He soon returned with five men. He announced that
a great chief, Massasoit, was coming to visit the colony. The chief arrived several days later with a number of warriors, including Squanto. Food was shared, gifts were presented to the Indians, and a peace treaty was forged that endured for many years. When the Indians departed,
Squanto stayed behind to act as an interpreter.
Even at the height of summer, the Pilgrims had begun preparing for the winter that lay ahead.
Corn was shucked and stored away. Fruits were dried and vegetables were pickled. Fish
were dried and packed in salt, while meats were cured over smokey fires. In celebration of this plenty, plans were made to hold a Harvest Festival. This feast, that we have come to call
"Thanksgiving," would also celebrate the help the Indians had given the Pilgrims.
The food was plentiful. There was cod and sea bass, eel, lobster, mussels, and clams.
There was pumpkin pudding and skillet breads of corn meal, as well as wild grapes and crab
apples, dried strawberries and gooseberries. Governor, William Bradford, sent some men to hunt ducks, geese, and wild turkeys. For three days, the Pilgrims feasted. At the height of the
festivities. Chief Massasoit arrived with ninety men, women, and children. A few of the men left briefly and returned with five deer which were added to the feast. All the while, the colony
was filled with chatter and laughter.
This first "Thanksgiving" reminded the Pilgrims of all they had to be thankful for and made
them confident that their settlement would endure. Their Indian guests left with pledges of
friendship and peace - a peace that lasted many years.
Sorry, looks like that's all the pictures I got, to busy running around! But a good day &
wonderful weather!!!
