The Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving

By Rev. Tom Tuura

Pastor of United Lutheran Church

There is so much happening during the change of seasons, a true recognition of Thanksgiving is often neglected. It is true that Thanksgiving is a particularly “American” holiday as opposed to a church “Holy Day” or season, like that of Advent and Christmas. But I believe there is merit in taking a moment before we race into the Christmas season to recognize a part of our own history and continue that spirit of gratitude. It wasn’t until 1863 when President Lincoln took action to set it as a national holiday much as we see it now.

The details of this voyage are striking. On August 15, 1620 two ships departed Southampton, England with more than 100 colonists -- Separatists resistant to the Church of England -- bound for an area near the Hudson River in North America. The two ships were Mayflower and Speedwell, and the colonists would come to be known as the Pilgrims.

The earliest records of Mayflower date to 1607. At that time the vessel was captained (and partly owned) by Christopher Jones, who would serve as captain on the Pilgrims' voyage, and was engaged mainly in wine trade between England and France, with frequent trips into the Baltic Sea to Norway. Mayflower, 100 feet long and 25 wide, and was a typical merchant ship of her day.

Speedwell had a somewhat more colorful history. Originally named Swiftsure, she was built in 1577 and took part in the English defeat of the Spanish Armada. She was renamed Speedwell in 1605. At sixty tons she was only a third the size of Mayflower.

The Speedwell developed a leak shortly after the Pilgrims' departure in August 1620 and both ships returned to England for repairs. More leaks developed on their second attempt two weeks later, so the ships returned again. All the colonists crowded onto Mayflower, which departed for the last time September 16th. Soon after, and suspected by the colonists all along, it was discovered the Speedwell's own crew had caused the leaks to escape fulfilling their one-year contracts.

Sixty days after leaving England, Mayflower arrived not at the Hudson River, but at Cape Cod. The incoming winter weather had made precise navigation difficult. Jones has been mocked for missing "Virginia" by hundreds of miles, but the term Virginia at that time applied to most of the British-claimed area of the eastern seaboard, not just to the US state we know today.

Two people died along the way, including Dorothy Bradford, wife of colony leader William, who fell overboard accidentally. A legend that she committed suicide dates from the mid-1860s.

Two were also born, one en route, and one that winter as the colonists waited out the winter aboard ship. It was during this winter that more than half the remaining passengers died, leaving only 53 to go ashore in March to begin setting up their colony, called Plymouth (this was not the first active European settlement in North America; St. Augustine, Florida had been founded more than fifty years before). Mayflower left for England the following month, arriving back there in May.

Capt. Jones died in 1622. Records indicate that Mayflower was probably broken up for her wood around 1624.

The harshness of not only the journey, but the first winter took it toll particularly upon the women, as 80 percent of the women died that first year.

Separatists-English Protestants who occupied the extreme wing of Puritanism. The Separatists were severely critical of the Church of England and wanted to either destroy it or separate from it. Their chief complaint was that too many elements of The Roman Catholic Church.

but not Puritans who went further adding teaching of Calvinism etc.

The only account of the first thanksgiving was by Sir Edward Winslow from the Plymouth Plantation to George Morton in December 1621, “You shall understand that in the short time we few have been here, we have built seven dwelling houses, four buildings for the use of the plantation, and have made preparation for several others. We sowed last spring some twenty acres of Indian corn and some six acres of barley and peas. According to the manner of the Indians, we fertilized our ground with herrings, or rather shads, which we have in great abundance and catch with great ease near our homes...Our harvest being collected our governor sent four men fowling together so we might rejoice together in a more special way after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. In just one day the hunters killed as much fowl as if their hunting party had been larger. The fowl fed the company almost a week at which time, among other recreations, we drilled with our fire arms. Many of the Indians joined us including Massasoit, the greatest king, and some ninety of his men. We all entertained and feasted together for three days. The Indians went out and killed five deer which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, the captain, and others. And although it is not always as plentiful as it was at that time, yet by the goodness of God we are so far from want that we often wish you could partake of our plenty.”

Two hundred and forty-two years later, President Lincoln proclaimed, “The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come…” Let us express this same heart of thankfulness.

That’s my view two cents

Pastor Tom ###