By Douglas V. Gibbs
The Thanksgiving feast is not uniquely American. Spanish colonies held thanksgiving ceremonies long before the Pilgrims, and across the New World. Whether English, Dutch, French, or Spanish – settlers gave thanks to God for survival and prosperity. Yet it is the Pilgrims’ story that endures, elevated in 1861 when the push for a unifying holiday began.
The Pilgrims’ menu looked nothing like today’s turkey-and-stuffing spread. Wild turkey may have appeared, but goose, duck, crane, swan, partridge, and even eagle were more likely on the table. Venison, seal, cod, eel, clams, and lobster rounded out the Fall Feast. Corn was ground into flatbread, and the banquet stretched for three days as it was a celebration of survival, harvest, and the beginnings of a free economic system we now call free market capitalism.
The Pilgrims were separatists, fleeing persecution under England’s state church. After a brief stay in Holland, they braved a 66‑day Atlantic crossing, landing north of their intended destination, a feat some might call “accidentally on purpose.” Their first winter was brutal: half perished from disease and exposure.
Initially, they tried communal living, pooling labor and resources. But human nature intervened as many shirked work while still drawing from the common store. Resentment grew, and starvation loomed.
Governor William Bradford introduced private property. Each family received land to farm, keeping what they produced and trading the surplus. Incentive replaced lethargy, and prosperity followed. The first successful corn harvest led to abundance, trade with the Indians, and a celebratory feast with Wampanoag allies.
Squanto, once enslaved and returned from England, taught the Pilgrims to farm, fish, and survive. His guidance forged a fifty‑year alliance with the Wampanoag, an important moment of harmony between settlers and natives. Unlike the Spanish conquistadors who sought empire, the English families sought survival and freedom and were more willing to live in harmony with their native neighbors.
Annual thanksgivings spread across New England. Washington proclaimed a day of thanks in 1789 with his famous Thanksgiving Proclamation. In 1863 Lincoln enshrined Thanksgiving as a national holiday, calling Americans to seek God’s healing during the War Between the States. Roosevelt’s attempt to move the date for retail sales failed, and in 1941 Congress fixed Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November.
Though turkey, stuffing, and pies became tradition, the essence of Thanksgiving is not the meal. It is gratitude to God for blessings, trials, and the strength gained through hardship. It is a reminder that America’s survival was secured not by collectivism, but by faith, freedom, and the spark of free market capitalism; a godly people who have called upon God to walk with them along the journey, and are thankful for His mercy and blessings.
— Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
