The idea of a National Day of Thanksgiving began with George Washington in 1789. He wished to celebrate the ratification of the US Constitution and the end of the Revolutionary War. In February 1795, Washington issued a second proclamation to celebrate the end of the Whiskey Rebellion. Later presidents, including John Adams and James Madison, also declared a day of Thanksgiving. However, with subsequent presidents, observance of the day faded, and by 1855 only 16 states celebrated the holiday, but on a wide variety of days and even months rather than a single uniform date. In 1863, however, at the urging of New Hampshire’s Sarah J. Hale, Abraham Lincoln revived the holiday and declared the last Thursday of November a "National Day of Thanksgiving". Since then, the holiday has evolved into our present American tradition.

The current traditional festive menu hardly reflects the original 1621 Plimoth Plantation’s Harvest Feast. Then, there were no potatoes, apples, or sugar. Although cranberries were present; cranberry sauce would not appear for another 50 years. With the communal oven still on the “to do list”, and with very limited wheat and barley flour, there were no pies, tarts, or bread stuffing. 

There is only one eyewitness written account of the first Thanksgiving feast. It appeared at the end of the booklet "Mourt's Relation" (1622), which colonist Edward Winslow had a major part in writing:

"Our harvest being gotten in, our Governour sent foure men on fowling, that so we might after a more speciall manner rejoyce together, after we had gathered the fruit of our labours; they foure in one day killed as much fowle, as with a little helpe beside, served the Company almost a weeke, at which time amongst other Recreations, we exercised our Armes, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest King Massasoyt, with some nintie men, whom for three dayes we entertained and feasted and they went our and killed five Deere, which they brought to the Plantation and bestwed on our Governour, and upon the Captaine, and others. And although it be not always so plentifull, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodnesse of God, we are so farre from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plentie."*

According to this booklet, the feast consisted mostly of meats (numerous waterfowl, deer, swan, passenger pigeon, turkey, etc.) which were boiled, roasted, or both. There would have been an abundance of seafood (mussels, lobsters, clams, fish, eel, etc.) accompanied with herbs and onions. Indian corn was plentiful but served as a porridge or was used as a thickener for meat broth. The garden “side dishes” were lettuce, spinach, cabbage, carrots, and perhaps peas. Pumpkins would have been hollowed out, filled with a custard-like substance, and roasted whole on hot ashes. Squash and other gourds were eaten sliced, boiled, roasted, or dried. Native tubers, nuts, and berries rounded out the menu in a variety of ways. The Pilgrims' main beverage was fresh spring water as the Mayflower's According to this booklet, the feast consisted mostly of meats (numerous waterfowl, deer, swan, passenger pigeon, turkey, etc.) which were boiled, roasted, or both. There would have been an abundance of seafood (mussels, lobsters, clams, fish, eel, etc.) accompanied with herbs and onions. Indian corn was plentiful but served as a porridge or was used as a thickener for meat broth. The garden “side dishes” were lettuce, spinach, cabbage, carrots, and perhaps peas. Pumpkins would have been hollowed out, filled with a custard-like substance, and roasted whole on hot ashes. Squash and other gourds were eaten sliced, boiled, roasted, or dried. Native tubers, nuts, and berries rounded out the menu in a variety of ways. The Pilgrims' main beverage was fresh spring water as the Mayflower's store of beer had been depleted.

It is thought that over 140 people attended Plimoth's 1621 three-day long feast. After a harrowing winter, the surviving Pilgrims only numbered 51... 22 men, 4 women, and 25 children. The feast was a community affair with Wampanoag Chief Massasoit bringing ninety men who provided five deer and possibly other native foods. With the support and help of Squanto and the Wampanoags, this small group had survived their first year in an isolated foreign land. Truly, they had much for which to be thankful.

Edward Winslow (1595 - 1655), a Separatist and New England political leader, was born in Droitwich, Worcestershire, England. He joined the Pilgrims in Holland and worked as a printer. He was one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact. His first wife, Elizabeth Barker died during the first winter in Plymouth. He almost immediately married the newly widowed Susanna White (who had given birth on the Mayflower) on May 12, 1621. It was the first marriage in the Colony. Winslow was the third, sixth, and tenth, Governor of the Plymouth Colony. He was an experienced diplomat who traveled extensively, including several times back to England, serving as the Pilgrims' ambassador. Also, he is credited with exploring the Connecticut River and was one of the commissioners of the United Colonies of New England, a military group working to unite the colonies against the natives. His appointment at the time of his death was commissioner of an English mission against the Spanish in the West Indies. The mission was successful, but Winslow died of yellow fever near Jamaica and was buried at sea.