The First Thanksgiving: What Really Happened

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Published 2018-10-07
An educational animation that tells the in-depth story surrounding the first "thanksgiving". Hope you enjoy!

Bibliography at bottom of description

Instagram: UnciviHistory

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This video is meant to give a non-bias account of the events which unfolded in the years leading up to the First Thanksgiving, and the several years following the feast (roughly 1614-1622). I apologize for any pronunciation errors with Native American names; I have a deep respect for the native peoples of America, but I am ignorant on speaking their languages. I hope I have not offended anyone!

To keep the video below 7 minutes, many details were negated, so everything inside my video is what I consider essential to receiving a well-rounded view and understanding of this very interesting event. For instance, we still don't know what the epidemic of the Great Dying of 1616-1619 was, despite numerous theories. Squanto died in 1622, never admitting any involvement in a plot to overthrow Massasoit. The events that happened after 1622 could fill several more videos!

There is no political agenda behind this video. I am a student of history with and I have tried to give an account of the first Thanksgiving that is as close as we can possibly get to the truth.

Sources:

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Adams, Charles Francis. Three Episodes of Massachusetts History (Vol. 1). Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Co., 1892.

Berkhofer, Jr., Robert F. The White Man’s Indian: Images of the American Indian from Columbus to the Present. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1978.

Bradford, William. Of Plymouth Plantation, ed. Charles Deane. Boston: Privately printed, 1856.

Bragdon, Kathleen J. Native Peoples of Southern New England, 1500-1650. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1996.

Cave, Alfred A. The Pequot War. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1996.

Cronon, William. Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England. New York: Hill and Wang, 1983.

D’Argenio, Joseph Ronald. “Building a Pilgrim Utopia; Identity, Security and the Contradiction of Cross-cultural Affairs at New Plymouth, 1620-1640.” Master of Arts, Lehigh University, 2004.

Demos, John. A Little Commonwealth: Family Life in Plymouth Colony. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.

Drinnon, Richard. Facing West: The Metaphysics of Indian-Hating and Empire-Building. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997.

Jennings, Francis. The Invasion of America: Indians, Colonialism, and the Cant of Conquest. New Work: W.W Norton, 1976.

Johnson, Michael G and Richard Hook(Illustrations). American Woodland Indians. London: Osprey Publishing, 1990.

Konstam, Angus and Angus McBride (Illustrations). Elizabethan Sea Dogs 1560-1605. Great Britain: Osprey Publishing, 2000.

Kruer, Matthew. “Red Albion: Henocide and English Colonialism.” Master of Arts, University of Oregon, 2009.

Mann, Charles. 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus. New York: Vintage Books, 1995.

Mason, John. A Brief History of the Pequot War: Especially of the Memorable Taking of their Fort at Mistick in Connecticut in 1637. Boston: S.Kneeland and T. Green, 1736.

Roberts, Keith and Stephen Walsh (Illustrations). Matchlock Musketeer 1588-1688. Great Britain: Osprey Publishing, 2002.

Roberts, Keith and Angus McBride (Illustrations). Soldiers of the English Civil War 1 Infantry. London: Osprey Publishing, 1989.

Standard, David E. American Holocaust: The Conquest of the New World. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.

Tincey, John and Angus McBride (Illustrations). Soldiers of the English Civil War 2 Cavalry. London: Osprey Publishing, 1990.

White, John. “Index of White Watercolors and De Bry Engravings.” www.virtualjamestown.org/images/white_debry_html/j…

Williams, Roger. A Key into the Language of America. London: Gregory Dexter, 1643.

Winslow, Edward. “Good Newes from New England: or a true Relation of things very remarkable at the Plantation of Plimoth in New-England.” In Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers of the Colony of Plymouth, from 1602 to 1625. Edited by Alexander Young. Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1841.

Winthrop, John, ed. John Beardsley. “A Model of Christian Charity.” The Winthrop Society Quarterly, 1997.

Wood, William. New England’s Prospect. Boston: John Wilson and Son, 1865.

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All Comments (21)
  • @DrDerpingtonPHD
    >makes a deal to pay off debt with fish >Doesn't know how to fish
  • @slockywush04
    Who’s here after finding out two turkeys planned to go back in time to the first thanksgiving to get turkeys off the menu?
  • Too bad this never happened after a few turkeys went back in time to the first Thanksgiving to get turkeys off the menu
  • Wait a freakin' minute . They came to the new world and planned to fish to pay off the investors. But nobody knew how to fish . Did I hear that right? WTF
  • @lonlofton7765
    As a Native American myself I felt heartbroken to my ancestors when I saw this. As I learn more of people's past I more so understand their pain everyday R.I.P my Native people
  • @Xman34washere
    "Do your people even celebrate Thanksgiving?" "We did. Once."
  • @schmogley5566
    I’ve always wondered what our society would be like today if we remained in peace and good terms with the Natives. As a lover of different cultures it makes me so sad the way it played out.
  • missing the part where two turkeys go back in time to the first thanksgiving to get turkeys off the menu
  • @UeJPTv
    The Native Americans should have built that wall. Europe didn’t send there best.
  • @Nimori
    There were some good white And bad white There were some good indians And bad indians. There is no race war. Only a battle between morals; created through different cultures.
  • @cheezman487
    Bit late to this but I always thank my mom for teaching me what really happened when I was 6 years old. Some people say I was too young but it’s important to let kids know the truth
  • @beaupoopoo256
    As a native I don’t celebrate thanksgiving. However I’m so thankful and I’m made so happy to see how my other friends celebrate it. They gather with their friends and have friendsgivings, they see their families and connect with them, I think that’s beautiful. My ancestors have felt pain, and nothing can change that. But I’m glad that pain birthed love and friendship.
  • @GREYGORILLA59
    Now I know why there’s so much arguing at my thanksgiving dinner.
  • @GSpotter63
    Thanksgiving is a celebration of what took place at a particular point in history not the atrocities that took place 60 years later.... It is a reminder that we can always go back to the way it was before the atrocities.... The sharing the carrying the putting away of our racist hate and indifference. Pointing out all of the horrible things we did to each other years later is a good thing and helps us keep our perspective but canceling the celebration today and the reminder of the good times and that we could have them again is a very bad thing.
  • @rubub8455
    I wonder if two chicken will go back in time to the First Thanksgiving to get turkey off the menu.