"The Harvest Meal...the First Thanksgiving"....the conclusion

In the early morning hours, the Wampanoag tribe began to make their way to the English settlement of Plymouth...numerous villages had perhaps been alerted to come....to a "feast".
 They had indeed been invited to a Harvest Festival.....

 At Plymouth, approximately 52 English pilgrims were standing strong...as over 90 Wampanoag warriors made their way to the settlement...accompanied behind by their women and children.
 This whole event about to take place was more of a "public relations" thing. The English pilgrims and the Native Americans were still in transition of getting to know one another... a trust that had not completely been established.
 There had been a treaty between the 2 groups  made in the early Spring of 1621, and it basically was agreed upon that they would protect one another from any outside enemy attack. In other words, "I'll watch your back...and you watch mine."

 Yet, still...could the Wampanoag tribe trust the English in this so called Harvest Feast? After all, the stories had been told of how the Vikings had murdered other Native Americans in years past, the broken treaties of the English with other tribes, or was this a set-up...to be engaged in warfare against these English of Plymouth?

 The event was at minimal a  3 day affair, and although food is often a method in the ways of peace, getting to know one another was of equal importance.
 The actual feast probably took place much earlier than when we celebrate Thanksgiving today... more than likely in late September.
 This we do know: the 3 day event not only consisted of various foods prepared, but games and sporting type events as well. The English pilgrims were not daunted in the "black and white" clothing as often depicted, but had color to their clothing...without the pilgrim black hats and large belt buckles (in fact, the pilgrims at the time did not wear belts...their "breeches" were tied to their jackets). 
 The Wampanoags truly outnumbered the English settlers at least 2 to 1, and when the feast had concluded, everyone returned to their homes...on good terms. The Thanksgiving Feast had been deemed...a success!

                  MENU OF THE DAY: A HARVEST MEAL {THE FIRST THANKSGIVING} 

1. The Wampanoag tribe brought 5 deer to the festive occasion...to be eaten by all!...fresh venison to be roasted over open wooden fires.
2. The pilgrims had went "fowling" (hunting for bird game), and brought to the feast ducks, geese, and possibly even swan. The hunting had proved exceptionally successful and was written their was a week's supply of game.
3. Fish....mussels, bass, clams, lobsters, and perhaps oysters...all plentiful in the New England region.
4. Vegetables... onions, beans, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, carrots, a few peas(rough year for peas), and corn...trust me...plenty of corn. The corn was often made into a type of mesh and then sweetened with molasses (  New England is famous for their production of molasses). Potatoes?? Probably not. The popularity of potatoes had not yet come to the New England area...but with the Spanish and the Irish...it was soon to be a common staple. So, in place of potatoes...probably turnips. Oh, and squash, a Native American treat, was plentiful. Reports are is was sweetened with honey and then laid on the coals of the wood fire. mmmmm!
5. Pumpkin pie...that would be a...no go. Although pumpkins were available and much liked by the English settlers, they really didn't have butter (no cattle at the time), nor did they have flour (they still relied on things like that from supplies on ships coming from England), and there is no indication they had ovens...at least not yet. Now, what the pilgrims would do is hollow out the pumpkins, fill the inside with goats milk, honey, spices, and pumpkin stuff (lol), and put that on the coals of a wooden fire as well...it came out almost like a custard. mmmmmm!
6. Fruits...enter the Wampanoag tribe! These Native Americans were well known...and still are today...for their fruits. They would start off the year with a "Strawberry Festival", and then grow blueberries, plums, gooseberries, and grapes...both red and white. Along with all this came raspberries...and then...the great and grand finale...cranberries! Even today, cranberries are sought after from this New England region, and the Wampanoag tribe have a major role in its product. Chestnuts and walnuts also were a part of the food supply.
7. Drinks...beer, an English favorite...along with some wine. And what did the children drink?....beer as well. It was safe and contamination was minimal. Of course, a fresh drink of water from a nearby stream...might be tasty as well.

 OK...the Big Question...Was their turkey?  Hmmm...the historical documents available do not really mention turkey...although wild turkey had to be flying around nearby...don't you think? One will never know.......         

Beginning a New Life...the First Year 1621 (Thanksgiving)

By the time the Harvest Festival was about to arrive, the first year had been productive...for the English settlers in Plymouth who we have come to know as "the Pilgrim Fathers."

 And fortunately,  it has been documented. An Edward Winslow kept his fellow Englishmen and family aware and up to date as to the Pilgrim's progress. Here are some of his thoughts and conclusions:

 " By the time the summer of 1621 had ended, 7 dwelling homes had been established including the common house, and 4 other buildings for the need of the community. Along with these achievements, 20 acres of Indian corn had reached an abundance harvest including 6 acres of barley which had been productive yet with mixed results. Both of these fields had been fertilized with herrings (fish). The acres given to peas had not proved so well. Although the peas had come up from the ground with a vitality with blossoms, the sun had parched them. 

 An unfortunate event had happened on January 14th, 1621. The new "Common House", a place for many families to live and survive....had caught fire...and burnt to the ground. It was found necessary to build yet another Common House".

 The peace treaty between the pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe was established and honored in the early spring of 1621. Prior to that, the pilgrims did not want the local Indians of the area to know of the many deaths among them (the pilgrims), and would bury their dead in the night hours so the Indians would not know the extent of deaths that had occurred. The place for these burials is referred to as "Copt's Hill". Before winter concluded, 50 % of the original 102 passengers on the Mayflower were dead.

 The first contact the pilgrims had made with the Native Americans  were with Samoset of the Algenquin Sagamore tribe. Later they brought "Squanto", who happen to be the sole survivor of the Pataxet people, now a representative for the Wampanoag tribe.
 There was another tribe, the feared Naragansett tribe, which lived to the west of the adjourning tribes. They had escaped all the  European illnesses that had decimated the tribes to the East. They actually sent a war like threat to the pilgrims, sending arrow heads wrapped in a snakeskin, a sign they were going to attack the pilgrims. Gov. Bradford sent a message back to the Narragansett leaders, wrapping gunpowder and shot into the same snakeskin that had been sent by the Naragansett leaders saying in essence: "Bring it". They never attacked the pilgrims. 

 The general sickness in the winter months (January through March 1621) among the pilgrims that caused so many deaths (50% of their total populace) was pneumonia. In fact, at one point, there were only 7 pilgrims (mostly women and children) who were physically strong enough to care fore the sick.
 During that time complaining and blame were heard among the pilgrims. One man cursed his wife when he became sick, stating she had convinced him to go on the expedition in the first place. Others claimed they had been lied to and given false hope upon entry into the New World, and still others refused to help those who were sick, in fear of getting sick themselves.

 Some interesting notes:
1. Although a knife, spoon, and large napkin were used as part of their necessities to enjoy a meal, forks were not.  In order to eat meat, it was necessary to apply the use of your fingers! Also, plates were often shared, and drinks in a cup as well. Just hope you weren't the last to drink....the backwash...yuk! lol.
2. The area was filled with not only mussels, but lobster. The pilgrims had access to some of the rich seafood of the region, not to mention the cods and the eels, which the pilgrims seem to go "crazy after." For example,  what is an "eel pie"? Whatever it was, the pilgrims were crazy about it! Although oysters were not available in the immediate region, Native American traders brought the oysters...to the tastebuds of the pilgrims!
3. Pumpkins, a cool discovery! The pumpkins and its various attributes were received from the Native Americans with much approval!
4.Pumpkins were accompanied by squash and cucumbers, providing a salad stimulus along with lettuce and possibly tomatoes.
5. Another help for the pilgrims in reference to food supplies was the use of herbs, which provided the a type of seasoning and spice to add to their meals.
6. The Wampanoag male child would reach manhood at the age of 11. At that age, a young Wampanoag boy would be blindfolded and taken into the wilderness where they were left to survive on their own for a period of time that could be several months.
7. Pilgrim children learned o help serve meals when they were quite young, and it was a custom for a child not to speak at the dinner table, unless they were spoken to.
8 The Wampanoags were particularly good on raising berries and grapes. Strawberries were the first to be harvested, along with gooseberries and followed by raspberries. Lastly came the cranberries.Even today the Wampanoag tribe is known throughout the New England area for their cranberry produce. Grapes were grown in both red and white. Their taste was sweet and also good for making wine.

 As the summer of 1621 came to a close, the exact date of the celebration of a Harvest Festival, (what we call Thanksgiving) is not given, yet it was more than likely the event was celebrated  earlier than late November, most likely being celebrated sometime in October or even late September.
 It is important to note a Day of Thanksgiving to a pilgrim was actually a day of fasting. It was a time to acknowledge God's provision. Even in 1789 when George Washington proclaimed a "Day of Thanksgiving", it was to be marked as a day of fasting with this thought in mind: our hunger was to remind us of how well God provides.
 A Harvest Festival, on the other hand, was a fall celebration that had been observed for a number of centuries in various cultures, both Christian and those of other religions.
 It was a time to inventory crops and livestock, and store them in preparation for the winter. This was a particularly common custom found in the northern hemisphere, in the northern European climates where winters could be much severe. It was not uncommon for many to pass away during these cold and bitter months, and the ratio of death among villages could range as high as 50% of the general population, although that would be in extreme conditions.

 The northern winters made its fame not so much in the months of November or December, rather it took hold around mid January through the month of March..as the cold of winter continued to linger and at times gathered strength.
 Our Christmas celebrations have origin in a widely known festival known as "Saturnalia", celebrated by numerous cultures of that era that were foreign to any Christian influence, It was celebrated around December 25th, and served as a reminder Spring was around the corner...even though the darkest months of winter were fast approaching. In fact, the Roman Catholic church established the birth of Christ celebration to offset and replace the Saturnalia celebration in the early 300's A.D.

As the day of the Harvest Festival began to arrive in that year of 1621, the pilgrims had suffered much, worked extremely hard, and learned much from Squanto and the Wampanoags in reference to planting crops, hunting, and fishing, as well as negotiating fiercely with Native Americans in seeking their survival. The Wampanoags in turn were true to the Treaty of Peace made in the spring of 1621 with the pilgrims, and the day was coming...for a Harvest Celebration, a Thanksgiving for the first year of establishing the settlement of Plymouth. 
 It had been a much different experience from the day the pilgrims had left England for the New World with visions of a new found freedom, for many of their own had died in pursuit of that freedom, a religious freedom, an economic freedom, and social freedom. Their determination and passion was relentless with their dreams still firm in their minds. The God they believed in was with them.

 Yet, it was an uphill battle, met with new challenges almost daily. A ship had arrived in November of 1621...smaller than the Mayflower, at first unknown to be friend or foe. As the passengers arrived in the new found colony of Plymouth, there were a total of 35 new English settlers present. The ship that had brought them to the New World was named "The Fortune".
 Yet, these passengers had arrived ill prepared. They had little in regards to tools, ammunition, or even extra clothing. More importantly, The Fortune had brought no supplies for the English settlement. Now the first year harvest would have to feed 35 more people. 

 Their survival had not yet been made...secure.                      

What Ever Happened...to the Mayflower? part 7

On November 11th 1620, the Mayflower anchored in the Bay of Cape Cod. By December 18th, the Mayflower had worked its way to the coast of what is now modern day Plymouth, Massachusetts...

 The month between between November 11th and December had been a busy one. Several small scouting groups had went ashore to collect firewood and scout the general area.
 It was around December 10th the decision had been made to establish a settlement on the west side of the Bay. The weather was initially harsh, and as a result it was more than a week before the Mayflower could dock near the settlement.
 The area chosen had already been cleared, for it had been previously occupied by a Native American tribe...the Wampanoag tribe. Due to former contact with other Europeans, the diseases (respiratory infections, flus, and other maladies) that came with the Europeans was foreign to the Wampanoag's immune system, and as a result they could not combat the diseases, and many of the tribe had died. As a result, they were simply forced to leave the area.

 Although the winter was brutal at first, it became a relatively mild winter. The problem was...the wetness. Much of the winter was in the form of sleet, cold rains, and near freezing temperatures...with high humidity. It resulted in approximately 50% of the original 102 passengers of the Mayflower...had died by the spring of 1621.
 In March of 1621, the English settlers had made contact with Native Americans and they were able to establish a peace treaty with the Wampanoag tribe, led by their tribal Chief...Massusoit. One of their warriors, Tisquantum, knew the English language and was extremely helpful in being a liaison with the pilgrims. The pilgrims referred to him as "Squanto", which was an easier way for the pilgrims to pronounce his name. Squanto had suffered much himself in the pursuit of freedom, including being captured by former explorer raids, causing him to be imprisoned in Spain. His experiences seemed to have an effect on him, and was quite  compassionate to the new English settlers.  

 On April 5th, 1621...the Mayflower and its remaining crew...returned to England.

 The Mayflower arrived back in England on May 9th, 1621. Later in October, Captain Jones took the Mayflower on a trading voyage to Rochelle, France...and returned to England with a cargo of bay salt.
 Soon after, the Captain died, who happened to be 1/4 owner of the Mayflower. He passed away on March 5th, 1622.
 Nothing further was ever documented concerning the Mayflower until May of 1624 where it was in probate and deemed in ruins. The ship was said to be disassembled and sold as scrap.
 Some reports of the Mayflower state the wood was used to build a barn in Jordins, England, yet many historians discredit this report as a product of an "overzealous imagination". Nevertheless, the barn in Jordins England has become a popular tourist attraction.

 On Christmas day in 1620, the pilgrims began the construction of their new homes...the common house being erected first. There were a total of 19 families in need of shelter... new homes.

 Women of the Mayflower played a key role to the survival of the pilgrims. They managed to put together meals with the food available, care for the sick, and mother the children. Many women went without food when food became scarce...so the children might have food to eat.
 Of the original 18 women on the Mayflower...only 4 or 5 survived the winter of 1620.

 In early December of 1620, the snow was 6 inches high, and the air was cold. The constant wet spray from the ocean caused their outer clothing to be almost glazed...in ice.
 Around December 18th, there was a severe storm that was marked by snow, sleet, and rain. It took the pilgrims over two days just to dry out. However, the entire winter is recorded to be quite mild in nature...which was a tremendous aid to the pilgrims trying to establish residence.

 The local native American tribe , the Wampanoags were extremely helpful. The pilgrims who came on the Mayflower were of the "city", being weavers and carpenters. The Wampanoags taught the pilgrims how to fish and hunt, and perhaps saved the entire group from being wiped out.

 Although the winter was not as harsh as other winters in the New England area, it was blustery with much rain.....Spring could only be a much needed and long awaited welcome!

   

A Moment to Remember....

It was a weird day...I was in 3rd grade at Lincoln school, my teacher...Mrs. Slusser, came into the room and she was crying...I had never seen a teacher cry before.

 Everyone started to swell up in tears...and we didn't even know why. Then, she gathered herself and said: "Our President is dead."

 Then I heard the school buses coming to the front of the school...they were sending us home.

 As I walked down the halls, there were teachers, mothers, and others...all crying.....

November 22nd, 1963








Also of note...the great Christian writer C.S. Lewis passed away on the same day: He wrote of Death seven years earlier: " The term is over...the holidays have begun. The dream has ended...this is morning!"

"The Mayflower Compact"...so, what is the deal about that? part 6

Emerging from the difficult circumstances that awaited the pilgrims as they arrived on the mainland of the New World, the battle to survive deep cold of winter, death beginning to tighten its grip on the new settlers from wetness and cold, hunger becoming more evident, and the fear of an utter complete failure... much like the stories that were being heard from the Jamestown settlement and  the horrific nature of their end...came a document that would change history...and mark the beginnings of a true democratic nation.

 The term "Mayflower Compact" didn't really get its title until 1793 when this document was tagged this title in a book called "A Topographical Description of Dixborough in the county of Plymouth". Up to that point, the Mayflower Compact was referred to as "An Association of Agreement", "Combination", "Solemn Contract", or simply "The Covenant".

 So what was this document and what deemed this article so important?

First, one must understand there was a hunger among the the Separatists (the pilgrims). It was a hunger not only for religious freedom....but for economic and social freedom as well.
 The way the pilgrims and the passengers of the Mayflower were able to come to the New World, was through a necessary mandate to receive permission from the Crown (the King of England)...to do so.
 The pilgrims sent a specific request, known as a patent application, stating their intention to settle on a land farther south than where they actually landed (Cape Cod). The patent they submitted described an area south, near the mouth of the Hudson River at what is present day New York.
 After the Mayflower had found harbor farther north...in Massachusetts in Cape Cod Bay, the pilgrims made the decision to remain there, rather than venture south to its original destination.
 In order to remain at Cape Cod, English law required the pilgrims submit a new patent stating their intentions( in other words, a new patent application). This would undoubtedly take some time to get this all approved, so in the meantime the pilgrims thought it only right to establish a type of covenant or law between them to enforce this new settlement would be of a civil society with proper moral codes.
 So, on November 11th, 1620...upon their landing in the Cape Cod region, they signed an agreement that what has been called, "The Mayflower Compact".

 In 1802, President John Quincy Adams referred to this agreement established by the pilgrims as "the only instance in human history of that positive, original, and social impact."
 Many historians conclude the popularity and the impact of the Mayflower Compact brought a great influence to the Founding Fathers when drafting two of America's greatest documents: The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States.

 Although the original draft of the Mayflower Compact did not survive, the historical paper did first appear in a pamphlet describing the first year settlement of the pilgrims at Plymouth called: "Mourt's Relation". Along with this pamphlet, it was discovered William Bradford (governor of Plymouth), had written 2 or possibly 3 versions of the Mayflower Compact, which are kept in a vault presently in the State Library of Massachusetts. It has been also found in 1669 the Mayflower Compact was published in the book "New England Memorial" by Nathaniel Morton.
 Here is the Mayflower Compact...in a more modern English:

 " In the name of God, Amen. ( Amen is a term we often insert at the conclusion of a prayer, and simply means "So be it.")
 We, whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread ( in that time frame the word "dread"is meant to show respect and be in awe, not in a terror sense) and sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, defender of the Faith, etc. Having undertaken, for the Glory of God, and advancements of the Christian faith, and honor of our King and country: a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by these present, solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering, and preservation and furtherance of the ends foresaid; and by  virtue do here enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be, though must meet and convene for the general good of the colony, with which we promise all due submission and obedience.
 In witness wherof we have here unto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the 11th of November, in the year of our Sovereign Lord King James of England, of France, and Ireland, the eighteenth and Scotland the fifty-fourth, 1620." (Different calendars were being used at that time such as Lunar and Gregorian).

 41 Separatists aboard the Mayflower signed the Mayflower Compact on November 11, 1620....24 of the men who signed this compact will have died by the spring of 1621....

"As the First Thanksgiving Approaches"...part 5

Before getting into the "Mayflower Compact" and its profound effect on giving a foundation to the meaning of "by the people, for the people, of the people"...the makings of a democratic society, there are a few things I need to catch up on........

 The Mayflower had made its voyage...landing in the Bay of Cape Cod on November 11, 1620...finally, after much delay. In fact, many a ship would not have travelled the "ocean blue" because of the fierce winds of November...but not the Mayflower. Although much delayed from it's original launch date in July of that year (not leaving England until September 6th), the people of the Mayflower had already been forced to make serious adjustments. The smaller ship, "The Speedwell", which was originally to come alongside the Mayflower to the New World, had sprung serious leaks only about 100 miles off the coast of England, and both ships had to return to England to regroup.
 As a result, the Speedwell was not able to make the journey, and all of its supplies and only some of its passengers could now venture...to the New World.
 And yet...there were more problems to face...more dangers ahead....for the old wine ship...the Mayflower.

 There was the danger of...renegade pirates on the Sea, who could overtake the Mayflower and force her to surrender all of it's goods. Most likely because of the lateness of the year, pirates had "bedded down for the winter." The Mayflower escaped any pirate assaults.
 But there is more....the danger of bad storms  doing physical damage to the Mayflower. This was a particularly real danger because of the time of year the Mayflower was out on the sea. The cold winds of November...struck fear even in the hearts of seasoned sailors, and
 this particular danger...the Mayflower did not escape....

 About 1/2 way across the ocean...well on their way to the New World, a bad storm had cracked one of the massive wooden main beams used to support the main frame of the Mayflower. Fortunately, the passengers aboard had brought with them what was known at the time as a "great iron screw", to be used in the construction of new buildings when they arrived on the mainland. When the beam was found to be cracked on the ship, the passengers and crew were able to use the "great iron screw" to raise the beam and put it in its proper position so no further damage would occur. As a result, the Mayflower was able to continue on its journey.
 One other real danger that faced the crew of the Mayflower was...being literally swept off the ship itself during a violent and bad storm. This is exactly what happened to a passenger...a John Howland...and he plunged into the ocean. He escaped his peril when he was able to grab on to one of the ropes that were on the side of the ship...and was pulled back aboard.
 The other factor that gripped many of the passengers during this seafaring journey was...sea sickness. In fact, one of the "sailors" on the ship began to make fun of some of the passengers who had become ill, and it is documented he not only was rude toward them...but got downright mean toward them as well.
 As it turned out, this mean "sailor" became ill himself (not from sea sickness), and died while on the journey...the only person to die on the voyage of the Mayflower. Many thought God had allowed this...because of his cruelty toward others.

 Anything else happened during the Mayflower voyage?...Well,

 A baby was born right during the journey. An Elizabeth Hopkins gave birth to a son whom she named "Oceanus". And, shortly after arriving on the Cape Cod harbor, a Susanna White gave birth to a son as well..a "Peregrine" White.

 Yet, after 66 days on the sea, the Mayflower made its landing...off the icy cold harbor of Cape Cod...in Massachusetts...on November 11th, 1620. Within a short time the men had taken small boats to get to the mainland...the settlement of Plymouth, and began immediate plans on building...starting with the "great common house"...trying to get everyone off the ship and have a shelter to stay in together...on the mainland.
 {There are numerous resources available to the journey of the Mayflower...the tight space within the vessel, the lack of privacy, sickness...even have to use the restroom...along with food available, water, and the help beer in giving them drink. I can only imagine what it must have smelled like in the hull of the Mayflower. Tremendous sacrifice...for the freedoms we have...today!}

 The pilgrims began to make their plans on building this settlement known as Plymouth, which had actually been settled before, by Native Americans. These were the Wampanoag Tribe, yet they had left this settlement because of sickness among them...in fact many in the tribe had died.

 Yet, the Wampanoags....would turn out to be "the angels" the pilgrims were ever in need of...as they "carve themselves" a life...in the New World."

The First Winter...Thanksgiving ...part 4

The first winter of 1620-21...was rough to say the least for the pilgrims who had arrived on the Mayflower.....

 First, allow me to say this: Although we refer to these English settlers as "pilgrims", they were actually referred to as "Separatists", because they desired to break away from the Church of England and have the religious freedom to exercise their own form of worship. It wasn't until 1840 that the word "pilgrim" was used to refer to these English settlers, coming as a result of William Bradford's writings on their history and using the word pilgrim from the Sacred Scripture in the book of Hebrews in the New Testament, chapter 11, verses 13-16 where a portion of it reads: "...strangers and pilgrims on earth..." (King James version).

 Yet, for simplicity...I will refer to the passengers who came aboard the Mayflower as: "Pilgrims".

 As well documented, the passengers aboard the Mayflower were a total of 102. It comprised of a 66 day voyage that began on September 6th, 1620 (due to delays) and reached the Cape Cod area in Massachusetts on November 11th. The initial idea was to land farther south in what was at the time a part of the Virginia colony that included parts of New York. In fact, the present New York City area was the original destination, but dangerous shore lines, poor winds, and the lateness of the year caused the ship to land farther north...in the bay of Cape Cod.
 Of the 102 passengers, not all were part of the "Separatist congregation". In fact, only a portion of the members of this religious group travelled to the New World...37 in all. The rest of the passengers consisted of 18 servants (13 of which were with the Separatists), about 50 crew members, farmers hired by the British investors to help establish crops, and Miles Standish, a military adviser that was hired by the Pilgrims.

 Here then is how it happened...

 After careful thought, the Pilgrims had decided to leave their homes in Holland to seek religious freedom in what is was referred to as the northern part of Virginia...in the new world.
 Because of a shortage of money to finance such an undertaking, the Pilgrims then made a contract with British investors  that would provide them a safe passage and would include supplies (food, clothing, tools, guns, etc.) to reach and establish themselves upon entry in building a new settlement.
 In return, the pilgrim colonists would work for these British investors and send back to England natural resources such as fish, timber, and furs. All assets including the building of homes and land would belong to the British investors for a period of 7 years.
 Then, all the lands and homes would be divided among the pilgrims and some with the British investors. There were many disagreements between the British investors and the pilgrims on these matters, but eventually a mutual agreement was finally reached.

 The first governor of the new colony of Plymouth (spelled Plimouth in those days) was a John Carver. He passed away only 6 months later and William Bradford became governor. Carver was involved with a very important document that has influenced our political arena ever since it's conception...it was called the "Mayflower Compact".

A Time before the First Thanksgiving....part 3

The thing that sticks out in my mind is the intense human suffering that not only the pilgrims (actually referred to as Separatists) and the local native American tribes had been through prior to the "First Thanksgiving", but for others who had been there centuries before.
                      For, many had died......

 Even though the pilgrims had landed at Cape Cod in the early winter of 1620, the English as well as Spanish and French had ventured (some settling) in this region known at the time as the "New World". In fact, there is evidence the Norse Vikings had landed on the North American continent in the Canadian region (Newfoundland) in 1013 A.D. They referred to this area as "Vinelandia", mainly due to the rich grape harvests thus producing wine.
 The Vikings considered the Native American tribes of that area as hostile and named them "skraelings", meaning a wretched people. Although this area in Canada would certainly seem like a paradise in comparison to Greenland or Iceland, the Vikings never were able to establish themselves in the region and by 1408, there was a document containing information on a wedding that had taken place...and that is the last you heard of Vikings being on North American soil.
 Other stories include Chinese explorers coming to the New World, Irish monks perhaps as early as the 6th century A.D., and the French and Spanish traders coming to capture Native Americans who they later sold to others (like in European countries) as slaves.  All of these various ventures came with a price...with many meeting their deaths in "following after their dreams" or receiving ill treatment from others.

 Yet, it was the English people who seem to make a permanent residence in the New World, and in particular the area within the U.S. we refer to as the eastern coastal line. There had been a number of attempts for the English to settle including the mysterious disappearance of the Roanoke Island settlement in North Carolina...that vanished in 1590, and, of course there was Jamestown that settled in the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia.
 Spain and Portugal seemed to dominate the South American continent during this era, venturing up into Central America and even into the southern part of the U.S. including parts of Florida and the Southwest. France too was beginning to explore the vast southern regions of the U.S., yet the English seemed to be the ones that intended to make a home here...in the New World.

Jamestown...at first it was called "Jame's Fort", was a colony that arrived in the Virginia area in 1607. It was actually founded through investors in England called the Virginia Company of London.
 Around 1600 2 Englishmen who went by the same name, Richard Hakluyt (an uncle and nephew), began promoting fellow Englishmen to colonize the North American continent through the publishing of a pamphlet, using phrases like " for the glory, for profit, and for adventure". These 2 Englishmen who were sons of nobility went on to describe how merchants can bring back to England exotic products, the clergy would have vast opportunity to convert savages to Christianity, and the poor have a way to rise up from their poverty stricken lives.

 The plan proposed by the Virginia Company of London was to finance settlers to come to the New world in the hopes of finding an inland river that would lead to the Pacific Ocean...and lead to the riches that were already known...in Asia. In the meantime, as the settlers found their new home, bring a return on the investments of the Virginia Company through their discoveries of minerals, good quality lumber, plants (particularly those for medicinal value), glass, and tar.
 So, in 1607 there were 105 colonists that landed in Chesapeake Bay and established "Jamestown", and by 1609 over 500 new settlers had arrived. Yet in establishing this young community, they were unaware of the challenges that awaited them. 

 In 1609-1610 there was a severe drought that occurred in the area of Jamestown.  The new English settlers, from what appeared to be ignorance or arrogance, did not till the soil or provide any irrigation for crops to withstand the severity of the drought. They refused to seek or receive help from the Native Americans in the area because they rendered them savages and enemies to the English.
 As a result, the new English settlers began to eat the livestock they had raised, including their cattle, hogs, poultry...and even their horses. Then, starvation began and there were reports of cannibalism taking place.
 By the spring of 1610 in Jamestown, only 60 settlers were alive...9 out of 10 of the original 500 settlers...had died. What was originally a life that was paved for freedom...and dreams, had turned into nothing more than a wretched nightmare.

 Meanwhile, the Virginia Company of London had one thought in mind: How were they to recover their financial losses? So, they sent more colonists and began to implement tobacco of various varieties...and see if that would produce a crop that would create a financial recovery.
 As it turned out...the idea was a success and by 1620 over 55000 pounds of tobacco were being sent to England. This also was the introduction of slavery within the United States as slave trading ships from Africa began to sell slaves to the English settlers as a means of reaping the harvest of the tobacco fields, flourishing in the Virginia soil.

 Although English nobleman had great influence in the settlement of the New World, the actual workers who came to areas like Jamestown...were of the working class. In other words, most of the "New World" settlers in this region were now poor, many under 25 years of age.
 England was partaking in a population explosion, going from 3 million people in the year 1500 to over 5 million people by the early 1600's. The result of this was many poor needing to find a new way of life.

 The New World...offered hope!

  So, what enticed the poor?.... First, between 1/2 and 2/3 of all the settlers coming to the New World from England...were indentured servants. This meant a person would exchange their debts for...4 to 7 years of labor...in places like the tobacco fields.
 In return, these indentured servants were fed, sheltered, and clothed...and after they had served their time, they received what was called their "Freedom Dues".
 The "Freedom Dues" included: 1 bushel of corn, 1 new suit of clothes, and 100 acres of land.


And then, a new ship arrives up north...in the Cape Cod region of Massachusetts, and this ship is called...."The Mayflower". They would in time even rely on the Native American tribes...for their very survival.            Things were about to change......... 

"Remembering Thanksgiving"...part 2

The arrival of the Mayflower into Cape Cod in early November brought with it a multitude of problems for the Separatists (Pilgrims). It was too late to construct any homes on the mainland due to to severity of the winter, and the men had to row in by small boats each day from the main ship...the Mayflower could not get real close to harbor because of the shallow waters.....

 Although 102 passengers had made the journey from England on the old wine supply ship...the Mayflower, the voyage itself and now the winter began to take its toll among the new settlers to the region. Between their arrival on Nov. 6th, 1620 and the first Thanksgiving the following fall of 1621, almost 1/2 of the original 102 passengers...had died.
 Women who had come over on the Mayflower had a 75% mortality rate in the first year (mostly due to illness from the cold and from the closed in areas of the Mayflower itself which helped to only promote respiratory infections), and many men had passed due to loss of strength combating the elements and lack of nutrition.

 There were actually 53 Separatists alive when the First Thanksgiving was celebrated, which in reality was a Harvest Festival...a common festival to have in those days. Actually, a Separatist would celebrate a "Thanksgiving Day" by fasting from food, reminding them of the gratefulness of God to supply them with daily food. A Harvest Festival, on the other hand, was a celebration of all the laborious work that had been done and the richness of their bounty...particularly with vegetables, fruit, and the like. Livestock was also inventoried, and the result would be a large dinner to commemorate the joy of the what the growing season had given. It was an essential part of life...for winter could be long, and in some cultures up to 50% of the people could die from lack of food and proper nutrition. 

 Fortunately for the remaining 53 pilgrims, an Indian tribe named the "Wampanoag", was there to come and aid the English settlers as they began to establish themselves with their new settlement:"Plymouth"...or "Plimouth" as spelled in those days.
 The Wampanoag tribe were able teach the pilgrims how to raise produce like corn and introduced them to a very valuable crop...the pumpkin. 
 This tribe were experienced hunters and fishermen as well, and during the first year, the pilgrims found success in how to live in the New World.
 By the time the Harvest Celebration came about in the late fall of 1621, over 90 warriors of the Wampanoag tribe came...along with wives and children. It turned out to be a 3 day celebration...not just one dinner and everyone went home, and the Wampanoag tribe brought 5 killed deer to help in supplying the celebration with food. There were fish, perhaps rabbit and squirrel,....and yet it is not entirely sure they even ate turkey, perhaps so, as it would seem that pheasants and wild turkey were in the region. Yet, I think deer and fish...including mussels which were plentiful on the rocks near shore...might have been the main entrees of the of the celebration meal itself. Eel was also a favorite among the first settlers.

 So, what went on the first year that actually made for a fall celebration we now commonly call:"The First Thanksgiving?"

 Housing: The English settlers built their homes that year modeling after cottages that were in England. They were basically a square or rectangle frame with steeply pitched roofs with one main room and a small storage area above the main room for storage or possibly an additional sleeping area. The enclosure was covered with wooden boards, something much different than the English style cottages which were made of brick. The roofs themselves were of a thatched type, and often "cat tails" from the shoreline were made to cover the roofs and keep out the inclement weather. The average size of a Pilgrim's home was approximately 800 square feet, much like a small apartment today.
 The Wampanoag tribe had a much different looking housing arrangement, living in what they called "weters". The frame of their housing was made from saplings of young trees and were much more oval in shape....like army barracks we might see today. In the summer, these homes were covered in woven grass and in the winter months they were covered in heavier bark to keep out the cold. In the center of a "weter", was more of a fire pit and at the center of the roof a hole to allow the smoke to escape. This hole could be covered if the weather demanded it. Inside the home were mats for sleeping and animal skins to keep warm against the cold.
 The Wampanoag tribe would clear a space of land and grow their crops in the spring and summer season, having a home during this time of year, and then as winter approached, they would move into the forests and have their winter home, with the woods acting as a barrier from the harshness of the New England type winters.

Clothing: The women coming to the New World upon the Mayflower had a pretty vast array of clothing to put on each day. They used garters to tie up their stockings and a loose undergarment called a petticoat. Then, they would put on a 2nd petticoat over that, followed by a short jacket commonly called a waist jacket. They would adorn their heads with a tight fitting hat called a "coif", which helped to keep their hair clean, and then put on an apron and leather shoes. After that, they would tie a small bag around their waist that was referred to as..."a pocket".
 The children of the pilgrims wore a basic dress until they were 6 or 7 years of age (boys and girls), then the boys were introduced to "breeches", or knee length pants. They too had to wear stockings held up by garters and a short coat over their shirts known as "doublets". There were no belts at that time, instead the breeches were tied to the doublet with laces...called points. 
 All clothing for the settlers were made by hand, there were no sewing machines, and color for clothing came from plants, animals, or minerals in the area. Supply ships from England were a welcome sight as it provided clothing for the settlers.

 The Wampanoag tribe clothing was much different. The men often wore only loin cloths made of soft deer skin, with small pouches for supplies or food for everyday life. They would often go barefoot or wore moccasins...also made of soft deerskin. Women wore a simple dress made of soft deerskin and were barefoot or in moccasins as well.
 For special occasions, decorative clothing would be worn such as deerskin leggings, jewelry, body paint, hand made colorful pouches, and tribal headdress. A feathered headdress (long) could take up to months to make by hand.
 Women and men wore jewelry made of stone, bone, clam shells ( wampum), and copper. Painting was done, particularly to a woman's dress, by using little slivers of wood, much like our toothpicks today.

 Food: For the English settlers, duck was very plentiful in the region and the men would use their "fouling rifles" to bring duck home for a meal. Seafood was equally plentiful, and mussels ( a shellfish related to slugs and snails) were popular as well as eel and various fishes in the area. Cornbread, curds ( a type of cottage cheese), and hasty pudding ( kind of like an oatmeal cereal) were common food of the day. Pilgrims ate 3 meals a day and the mid-day meal was the main meal of the day.
 As for the Wampanoag tribe, the "3 sisters" were a main staple for food supply: corn, beans, and squash. They ate a variety of meats including rabbit, squirrel, and deer. Often times the women would take the meat and make a "sobaheg", a type of meat stew.

 The first year was quite a learning experience for the English settlers, and they learned much from the Wampanoag tribe....planting and raising corn, new produce....the pumpkin being the "talk of the town", and the various fishes available near the ocean...including eel which the settlers seemed particularly fond of. 
 Although death had certainly taken its toll among them, hope was still present!

Remembering Thanksgiving...part one

I am of an earnest conviction...that many of our holidays and celebrations have an origin that demands to be heard and remembered. Cultures change, societies change, people change, yet the original purpose of our celebrations must be remembered as to the meaning why we recognize these sacred days and festivals. I approach history and the study of the Sacred Scripture with this type of passion and a never ending question: "What caused this event or what caused these writings to be told in the matter they have been passed down to us?".....

 With that thought in mind, I approach "Thanksgiving". 

 Much of our historical documents concerning the 1st Thanksgiving is given to us through the writings of William Bradford.
 William Bradford was born in 1590, in a small farming community of Austerfield, Yorkshire, in England. His father had died when William was only 1 year old, and was then raised by his grandfather until the age of 6, when his grandfather had passed away. At age 7, William's mother passed away and he and his older sister Alice were then raised by his uncle Robert.

 William was a rather fragile child and was often fighting off one sickness after another. By the age of 12, he had taken to reading and the study of the Sacred Scripture, and soon became acquainted with a group know as Separatists led by a Richard Clayton and John Smith.
 The Separatists were a group who could no longer engage in the ways of Christian worship as dictated by the official Church of England, and by the year 1606 William Bradford had become deeply involved with the Separatist Movement.
 Although Bradford's personal family did not support his moves, in 1608 Bradford along with a group of Separatists fled England because of the pressures of the Church of England...including persecution.

 He then moved to Holland and enjoyed approximately 11 years of relative peace and freedom to worship God by what the Separatists regarded as "more closely to the dictates of the Sacred Scripture", and married his 16 year old bride Dorothy May in 1613. William Bradford took up the trade as a silk weaver, and the couple had a son around 1615 and they named him John.

 Holland, who had maintained a 12 year old peace treaty with Spain, was now about this time beginning to "beat the war drums on the streets", as Spain and Holland were on the brink of war.
 The Separatists, feeling like exiles from England and living in a foreign land....then made plans to journey to the "New World"...on a ship named the Mayflower....to continue in their religious freedom.
 When the young couple boarded the Mayflower, they left their young son John behind...so he might not endure the hardships awaiting them.

 It was in the winter of 1620, after arriving in the "New world" at Cape Cod, that William's wife had an unfortunate accident when she slipped overboard into the icy waters of the harbor. Some reports say she drowned while others say she suffered from what we know this day as hypothermia, and died shortly after, on December 17th, 1620.
 In 1623 William married a widow who had come on the Mayflower, an Alice (Carpenter) Southworth.

 Much of the origin of the new colony is given to us through the writings of William Bradford, detailing the the early years (approximately 30) as to how it all took place....including...the "First Thanksgiving". This well known historical document is entitled: "The Plimouth Plantation" (although using the letter "i" in those days, is often used with a "y" today).

 Bradford passed away on May 9th, 1657, at the age of 68. His 2nd wife, Alice lived to be 79 years of age and passed on March 26th, 1670. 
 William and Alice had 3 children: William, Mercy, and Joseph.
As for John, the son of William and his first wife Dorothy, he too came to the New World at a later date and passed away in Connecticut.

 There are numerous resources available as to the life of William Bradford.

The Scourge of a Woman....Gleaning from Luke 3: 19-21

Herod Antipas...the son of Herod the Great, had been the appointed the Roman ruler for the region of Galilee. This son of Herod the Great was not near as an accomplished architect as his father, yet had remodeled the capital city of Galilee, Sepphoris, and built a new capital city in Galilee, naming it Tiberius. The new capital city was named Tiberius, in honor of the Roman emperor, included the luxuries of a stadium, hot baths, and an ornate palace for Herod Antipas and his family to have residence in. {One major issue with the new city Tiberius was...it was built on top of a Jewish cemetery, and as a result many devout Jews would not even enter the gates of Tiberius, located on the west side of the Sea of Galilee.}

 Yet, Herod Antipas or Herod Tetrarch as some have referred to him(Tetrarch is Greek for 1/4, and in this case was ruler over 1/4 of the entire area of the Israeli region) reputation was not in architectural claims, rather his reputation was enveloped in the fact this guy was evil.
 Along with the notoriety of being quite sensual in everyday behavior, he was easily influenced (particularly by women in royal positions), weak as far as having principles in life and living by them, making many decisions based on emotion or on impulse, and quite frightened of others when challenged.
 At this time in Luke 3, Herod had gone too far. He had made the decision to divorce his present wife, Phasaelis, who was a daughter of King Aretas IV of Nabatea. Nabatea was a small yet wealthy trading country north of Judea. Later, it turns out King Aretas IV attacks Herod Antipas because of the public humiliation of his daughter.
 Herod Antipas had fallen in love with Herodias...but at the time she was married to his half-brother Phillip (same father as Herod the Great but different mothers). So, Herod and Herodias decided to get married and leave their present spouses (while both alive), which in that time and culture was considered a horrific sin. What made matters worse, Herod Antipas was proud of what he was about to do...and could care less as to setting a standard of honor or morale...he was only absorbed in his own self interests.

 Were Herod Antipas and Herodias related...since they both kind of carried the same type name? Yes, it was quite a common practice within this totally dysfunctional family to marry within, particularly with the men having multiple wives. Also, the culture at that time was more given to this than what we look at today as...GROSS.
 The connection between these two went like this: Herodias was a daughter of Aristobulus IV, who was a son of Herod the Great by his 2nd wife Mariamne I.
 Herod Antipas was a son of Herod the Great by his 4th wife Maltace.

Yet, the news of what Herod Antipas and Herodias were doing...was very disturbing to the local culture, and caused many of the Jewish community to be quite angry.
 Now...enter John the Baptizer....

 John had spoken openly in public about this marriage that was about to take place, and condemned both Herod Antipas and Herodias for doing so. Herodias herself became extremely upset with John the Baptizer for speaking against them and looked for the opportunity to get her revenge on him.
 As for John the Baptizer, he had become a local favorite in Galilee, and his fame had grown throughout the land of Galilee and Judea. Many thought he was Elijah, the Old Testament prophet who had returned while others thought he may indeed be...the Messiah.
 Actually, John had taken on the role of the Jewish high priests. It was the Jewish high priests, who at this time were Annas along with his son-n-law Caiaphas...that should have been announcing this act as violating the Commandment of God. Yet, they were silent about it...perhaps because of political or monetary loss if they would challenge and come against the Roman governor Herod Antipas and his new wife Herodias.
 But...John the Baptizer had no problem announcing to the people this type of behavior was unacceptable, and would only be the "icing on the cake" of the many sins Herod Antipas had done and supported in his life.
  Yet the day was coming...when Herodias would find her revenge on...John the Baptizer..... 

 The day actually came when Herod Antipas had John the Baptizer arrested. In the historical accounts of Josephus, the famed Jewish historian, he wrote that John was put in prison under Roman law due to John leading a possible uprising against the Romans. The Scriptures clearly indicate this was a revenge tactic created by Herodias...who by this time was filled with hatred for...John the Baptizer, and for John speaking openly about Herod Antipas and Herodias and their defiance of Jewish law. Josephus further writes the place of John's imprisonment was at a place called Machaerus, which was southeast of the mouth of the River Jordan.
 Keep in mind in both the Sacred Scriptures and in the historical writings of Josephus...Herod Antipas did not hate John the Baptizer, rather, he found him interesting to listen to...although he never made the decision according to the Scripture...to repent of his lifestyle.
 The charge for John's imprisonment under Roman law would be investigated, and it was possible John the Baptizer would only have to serve 2 years in prison confinement. Herodias had other ideas....

 There was an evening when a festival was going on....Herod's birthday being celebrated among Roman officials, and Herod Antipas had gotten himself quite drunk from the celebration. With John the Baptizer already in prison, Herodias, the new wife of Herod Antipas decides it is time to make her move.
 Salome, the daughter of Herodias (step-daughter to Herod Antipas), gives herself in a dance to Herod Antipas in celebration of his birthday. It is often concluded this was an erotic type dance...aimed to excite and please the drunken Herod to give a present in return...for this provocative dance given personally to him...by Salome... and the plan worked beautifully! After the dance, Herod Antipas promised to Salome any gift she would ever want. Coached by her mother, Salome runs over to her Mom and tells her what Herod (the now drunken) Antipas had just said. And here is her moment...Herodias's time to get back at John the Baptizer. She tells Salome that what she wants for a gift from Herod....is the head of John the Baptizer...on a platter!...the rest is history....
  {NOTE: Could have Herod Antipas got out of his promise? Sure he could...he could have responded to her request for John's head by saying: "Hey, I promised you a gift...not a crime, so I cancel this gift." After all, Herod Antipas actually broke Roman law by executing John...with no trial. But men do stupid things...when they are drunk. As the saying goes: "Don't swim, don't text on your cell phone, stay off Face book, and don't make any decisions...when you are drunk."
 Later, in more of the "arts world", it became a thought that Salome was actually in love with John the Baptizer...yet he had rejected her. Although it makes for a great romantic story...I am afraid to tell you...it is nothing more than a "wives's tale".}

                    A Gleaning from Luke 3:19-20

 " John the Baptizer was a man of strong beliefs...both in word and in his lifestyle. And John did not hold back in speaking about the Roman ruler of Galilee, Herod Antipas, informing the crowds how wrong it was for Herod Antipas and Herodias...to be marrying each other when they were both already married to another...it directly opposed the very Commands of the God of Israel. After all, Herodias was already married...to Herod Antipas's 1/2 brother, Phillip, and Phillip was still alive! (In those times if a brother dies, the eldest bother would take the widow as his wife or at least commit to taking care of her).
 What Herod Antipas was doing is nothing more than a "crown" to all his many acts of evil...embracing a lifestyle that is a moral outrage to both the God of Israel and to man himself.
 So, Herod Antipas thought it best to "shut up the mouth of John"...and had John the Baptizer put in prison."
 {NOTE: The Gospel of Matthew further describes this event and how it happened in chapter 24:3-12 }.