I’m a confirmed descendant of Mayflower Pilgrims William Bradford and William Brewster. I’ve been to Plymouth and seen the museums and the Mayflower 2. There wasn’t really that much in this book that I didn’t already know about the Mayflower Pilgrims, but it still kind of messed with my head.
I appreciated learning more about the Wampanoag than I had previously learned, and I thought this History Smashers book told a more complete story than may be familiar to many Americans.
I think the biggest revelation for me is that the very idea of the Pilgrim’s feast in 1621 being the “first Thanksgiving” is the most fictional part of all. Neither the Pilgrims, nor the Native people in attendance ever referred to it as a thanksgiving. Both groups did have thanksgiving celebrations and this was not one of them.
The idea of this mythologized “Thanksgiving” was brought out with a nostalgic lens during times of struggle and war, I guess with the hopes of increased unity. I can imagine them suggesting that if the Pilgrims and the Indians could get along and give thanks together, we can all get along too! This is, of course, presented without additional historical context and completely ignoring how things turned out in the years to follow.
I’d like to quote The O.C. now. Possible spoilers for The O.C. Season 2.
Ryan: Alright, look. Luke Skywalker was happy to find his dad, right? Even if he turned out to be Darth Vader. Lindsay: Ryan, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader fought each other with light sabers until one of them died.
