Thanksgiving celebrations raise questions

Joseph Padgett November 6, 2026 5 min read In 1620, 102 English immigrants sailed across the vast open sea on the Mayflower and anchored near Cape Cod on what is now the Massachusetts coast. The two-month journey through the salty sea, enduring a harsh, unforgiving winter upon first arrival left the Pilgrims’ population at half of what it was at departure. Standing on one weak leg, thoughts of the thousands of other settlers who died in the New World lingered in their minds. Did the journey they set out to live, to save them from religious persecution, lead them to a fate to meet the one they worship? Not expecting this new life to be as harsh as it was, a relationship with the local Indigenous people became critical. The Pilgrims wanted to show gratitude toward Indigenous people, who helped them survive; they hosted a great feast to bring the two cultures together, producing the first Thanksgiving. We all heard this story or another very similar type, but how true is it?

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