The Pilgrims who sailed to this country aboard the Mayflower were originally members of the English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect). They had earlier fled their home in England and sailed to Holland (The Netherlands) to escape religious persecution. There, they enjoyed more religious tolerance, but they eventually became disenchanted with the Dutch way of life, thinking it ungodly. Seeking a better life, the Separatists negotiated with a London stock company to finance a pilgrimage to America. Most of those making the trip aboard the Mayflower were non-Separatists, but were hired to protect the company's interests. Only about one-third of the original colonists were Separatists.

The Pilgrims set ground at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. At the beginning of the following fall, they had lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was a bountiful one. And the remaining colonists decided to celebrate with a feast -- including 91 Indians who had helped the Pilgrims survive their first year. It is believed that the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year without the help of the natives. The feast was more of a traditional English harvest festival than a true "thanksgiving" observance. It lasted three days.

Governor William Bradford sent "four men fowling" after wild ducks and geese. It is not certain that wild turkey was part of their feast. However, it is certain that they had venison. The term "turkey" was used by the Pilgrims to mean any sort of wild fowl.

Another modern staple at almost every Thanksgiving table is pumpkin pie. But it is unlikely that the first feast included that treat. The supply of flour had been long diminished, so there was no bread or pastries of any kind. However, they did eat boiled pumpkin, and they produced a type of fried bread from their corn crop. There was also no milk, cider, potatoes, or butter. There was no domestic cattle for dairy products, and the newly-discovered potato was still considered by many Europeans to be poisonous. But the feast did include fish, berries, watercress, lobster, dried fruit, clams, venison, and plums.

In October of 1777 all 13 colonies joined in a thanksgiving celebration.

George Washington proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789.

Thanksgiving History – The Thanksgiving Proclamation
New York, 3 October 1789

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor--and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me `to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.'

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be -- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks -- for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted -- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions--to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually -- to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness onto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord -- To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us -- and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

George Washington

It is refreshing to hear the emphasis on giving thanks where it belongs…to God….for all of our blessings. Notice that President Washington also emphasized repenting for our national and personal sins.  Thanksgiving was meant to be a day of celebration, prayer and repentance to God.

And, we must remember, that in 1779, The United States of America’s 13 Colonies were in the midst of the Revolutionary War.  It was a year filled with death, destruction and both military victories and defeats.  It was the year that France declared war against England in support of our newly formed nation.  It was also the year of the worst naval defeat in our nation until Pearl Harbor in 1941.

In the midst of all of this turmoil, President Washington encouraged and directed the people of the United States to be a people of prayer and praise to God.

No doubt, he was inspired, as were the Pilgrims at Plymouth, by the wonderful passages in the Bible that proclaim Thanksgiving:

“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done” (1 Chronicles 16:8).

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the Lord is good . . .” (Psalm 100:4-5).

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever” (Psalm 136).

“And you will always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).

“Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done” (Colossians 2:7).

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President Thomas Jefferson stopped the national observance of Thanksgiving, but the individual states continued their own proclamations and observances.

It was Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor, whose efforts eventually led to what we recognize as Thanksgiving. Hale wrote many editorials championing her cause in her Boston Ladies' Magazine, and later, in Godey's Lady's Book. Finally, after a 40-year campaign of writing editorials and letters to governors and presidents, Hale's obsession became a reality when, in 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving.

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown.” – Abraham Lincoln, October 3, 1863

This was during some of the darkest part of our history as Americans.  The Civil War was raging.  The country was divided.  The economy was in a shambles.  Morale was low and fear was in the air about the present and the unknown future.  And, yet, in the midst of it all, President Lincoln declared a National Day of Thanksgiving to God on October 3, 1863.  He gave another significant speech in the following month on November 19, 1863.  We know it as The Gettysburg Address.  It was the beginning of the Civil Wars ending which would occur two years later, shortly after President Lincoln’s assassination, April 14th, 1865 and his subsequent death the following day.

Every President who followed proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving. 

The date was changed a couple of times, most recently by Franklin Roosevelt, who set it up one week to the next-to-last Thursday in order to create a longer Christmas shopping season. Public uproar against this decision caused the President to move Thanksgiving back to its original date two years later. But Roosevelt’s idea stuck.  The Friday after Thanksgiving is typically the busiest shopping day of the year.

In 1941, Thanksgiving was finally sanctioned by Congress as a legal holiday, as the fourth Thursday in November.

President, John F. Kennedy, said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” –

This was in the thick of tumultuous times as a nation with the threat of Communism and nuclear war as marked by The Bay of Pigs, Cuba and Russia.  On the other side of the world Communism threatened to encroach in Vietnam.  The response was fear, rebellion, and culture shifts most markedly symbolized by Woodstock and the building of home bomb shelters and drills for school children in case of nuclear attack.  And, it was the beginning of public U.S. involvement in the Viet Nam war in which

Served8,744,000 Died58,217 Wounded153,452 Missing1,947

President Kennedy was assassinated and the nation mourned…

Throughout our history, in the midst of terrible tumultuous times, we have been a people of Thanksgiving!

And here we are today:  The Financial Markets are shaky.  Unemployment is high.  The housing market and foreclosures are still in bad shape.  Investments and pension funds are still rocky.   The divide between the rich and the impoverished is becoming greater.  The middle class is shrinking.  This is evidenced by the Occupy Wall Street movement.   

But the historical evidence demands that in spite of it all… we are to give thanks. 

Why?  Because God is the constant in a constantly changing world.  The Bible tells us that “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.”  The Bible says, “I will never leave or forsake you.”  The Bible says, “Commit your ways to the Lord and your plans will succeed.”

We are called to live by faith and not by sight.

Let us this Thanksgiving week be in prayer to God praising Him for all the things he has done, will do and is doing.  Let us confess our sins before Him and let us commit to giving him all the praise and the glory.

Happy Thanksgiving!