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Thanksgiving Reflections
By Neil Peterson | November 28, 2008
The American Thanksgiving holiday had its origins in the experience of the Pilgrims and their struggles during their first winter on the North American continent. The story of the Plymouth colony, though often repeated, still provides us with much to think about today.
First of all the incredible tenacity and courage of the Mayflower pioneers. Sometimes the history books have a way of sanitizing the daily life of the Pilgrims. The Mayflower was a small ship, and its 102 passengers lived in a space about 80 feet long by about 24 feet wide, at its widest point. The journey from Plymouth, England which began on September 16, 1620, took a grueling 66 days. There was virtually no privacy and much danger as passengers were frequently tossed about in rough seas. Sanitary conditions were poor and two passengers died of disease during the voyage. The Pilgrims finally established their settlement on Cape Cod near what is today Provincetown Harbor.
But the voyage wasn’t the biggest challenge they faced. They had to figure out their food resources, build a secure fort and negotiate a peaceful co-existence with their Indian neighbors, the Wampanoag. Thanks to the good will of the Wampanoag, and the help of an English speaking Indian intermediary named Squanto (left), the Puritans survived their first year and concluded an alliance with the Wampanoags. In celebration of arranging this peace, the colony’s governor, William Bradford, declared a three-day feast after the first harvest of 1621 that later became known as “Thanksgiving.”
Thus the second lesson of the original Thanksgiving is about using the politics of collaboration and cooperation to manage in difficult circumstances. The peace that William Bradford negotiated with Chief Massasoit lasted almost two decades – for the entire remaining lifetimes of both men. The Pilgrims, despite some of the harshness of their religious beliefs, were willing to learn from the Indians and establish a successful agriculture in the New World when their own methods failed.
Today Thanksgiving seems to be most remarked as the start of the holiday shopping season. Like many holidays, its historical roots have been obscured by modern priorities and concerns. But the difficult times we are in now are a good reminder that the lessons the Pilgrim experience can teach us still have value.
Additional Resource
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick
Desperate Crossing: The Untold Story of the Mayflower starring Erin Raftery, Chris K. Layman, Paul Drinan, and Sam Redford (DVD from the History Channel – view trailer)
Mayflower 1620: A New Look at a Pilgrim Voyage by Peter Arenstam, John Kemp, Catherine O’Neill Grace, and Plimoth Plantation
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Topics: Inspiration, Management, Perseverance, Stories | No Comments »