When a group of English men and women in the 17th century, fleeing religious persecution and living in exile in Holland, sought freedom and the chance at a better life, it is hard to imagine any of them believed they were changing the course of human civilization. Pursuing the opportunity for a better life, they established the foundation of what would eventually become the American dream. The Pilgrims weren’t the first people from Europe to set foot on the North American continent, but it would be hard to argue any from the early 17th century had more of a prominent impact.
After overcoming horrific weather conditions, disease, plague, hunger, and other devastating odds, the Pilgrims sighted land on Nov. 9, 1620. Those who survived the journey would face many more challenging times in the year ahead. They engaged with indigenous tribes of the area. Some exchanges were friendly, others were not. However, they endured and would establish a society. About a year after sighting land, and a successful harvest, the Pilgrims gathered with the Wampanoag tribe to give thanks for the food, friendship, and life, and held the first Thanksgiving.
The decision to board the Mayflower and depart Europe in September 1620 was a monumental historical moment. Their 1620 Project to venture into the unknown and seek to build a world of freedom that aligned with their values and beliefs, without any guarantee of survival or success, is one of the most consequential developments of Western civilization. Over 150 years before the Declaration of Independence was written, these brave men and women pursued the opportunity for liberty, life, and their version of happiness. Their spirit of adventure and determination established the groundwork for the future generations of America.
However, there are those today seeking to discredit the 1620 Project and tear down the legacy of the Pilgrims. Such people add Thanksgiving to the list of historical grievances of Western civilization. They consider it a celebration of genocide and the establishment of the ethnic supremacy of Europeans in North America. And in this Howard Zinn-esque revision of history, Thanksgiving is a bad thing, a horrific act, and unworthy of celebration. However, nothing could be further from the truth. These inflammatory assertions are the words and beliefs of bad-faith actors with the sole purpose of wanting to tear this country down.
In 1620, over four centuries ago, the Pilgrims planted the roots of what would ultimately become an innovative way of governing, a new way of thinking, and a constitutional republic of the people, for the people, by the people. The seeds planted by the Pilgrim forefathers bore the fruit that would become this great constitutional republic. The 1620 Project by the Pilgrims would go on to establish a civilization independent of the feudalism and oppression that dominated human society at the time. In many ways, the Thanksgiving holiday could, and quite possibly should, be viewed as a separate Independence Day.
Perhaps ironically, there is a specific symbolism and imagery that parallels the Pilgrims and their journey to the first Thanksgiving. It’s indicative of why Thanksgiving is such an important holiday in American lore and is one of the most significant we celebrate each year. After a time of struggle and overcoming adversity, the fruits of the harvest and joint celebration with the Wampanoag in 1621 parallel the growth of our nation. The seeds planted by the Pilgrims in 1620 would sprout into the flower of liberty in 1776.
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The story of Thanksgiving is a story of American history. The seeds planted with the decision to partake in an arduous journey that began when the Pilgrims left Europe in Sept. 1620 would blossom into what would eventually become the United States. Their seeds would produce a harvest of a new world, a new country, and a freer people. The 1620 Project is not a tale of perfection, as there have been many challenges since the Pilgrims and Wampanoag dined in Massachusetts.
And, like the history of all human civilization, there were plenty of mistakes, injustices that should not have occurred, and historical scars since 1620. However, the sins of humanity have been a common theme throughout time in all human civilizations. Unlike previous civilizations, the 1620 Project harvested a society that fought, and continues to fight, to right the errors of the past and provide hope for a more promising future. The first Thanksgiving was the transformational event that began it all.