# The Original Thanksgiving Plymouth Rock



## Scott1 (Nov 27, 2008)

In 1623, Governor William Bradford declared: 



"Inasmuch 

as the great Father has given us 

this year 

an abundant harvest of 


Indian corn,

wheat,

peas,

beans,

squashes, and 

garden vegetables and


has made

the forests to abound with game and 

the sea with fish and clams, and 



inasmuch 

as he has protected us from the ravages of the savages, 

has spared us from pestilence and disease, 

and has granted us freedom to worship God 

according to the dictates of our own conscience.



"Now I, your magistrate, 

do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones, 

do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, 

between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, 

on Thursday, November 29th, 

of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-three and 

the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, 

there to listen to ye pastor and 

render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings."


----------



## kvanlaan (Nov 27, 2008)

So basically, nothing has changed almost 400 years, right? This is how Americans still approach Thanksgiving day, right?

(C'mon now, what's a little gluttony/drunkenness/idolatrous materialism?)


----------



## Devin (Nov 27, 2008)

Such humility is refreshing to read.


----------



## VirginiaHuguenot (Nov 27, 2008)

The authenticity of this proclamation is disputed in light of the fact that it references "ye pastor" which they did not have (in Plimoth) in 1623. There are other anachronistic references in the text that make it doubtful, and its sources are modern (it is not mentioned by Bradford, if I recall correctly). Francis J. Bremer and Tom Webster, _Puritans and Puritanism in Europe and America_, p. 563, refers to this document as "spurious." So it would be wise not to lean on this too much, although the historicity aside, it is a noble sentiment.


----------



## Scott1 (Nov 27, 2008)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> The authenticity of this proclamation is disputed in light of the fact that it references "ye pastor" which they did not have (in Plimoth) in 1623. There are other anachronistic references in the text that make it doubtful, and its sources are modern (it is not mentioned by Bradford, if I recall correctly). Francis J. Bremer and Tom Webster, _Puritans and Puritanism in Europe and America_, p. 563, refers to this document as "spurious." So it would be wise not to lean on this too much, although the historicity aside, it is a noble sentiment.



I'm glad as librarian you research original sources. That is an important skill.

There are several William Bradford Proclamations out there- did he not reference them in his diaries? Any idea when the first verified thanksgiving proclamation was?


----------



## turmeric (Nov 27, 2008)

"And on the morrow
ye shall goe to ye mall
there to celebrate the day
known as Blacke Friday."

Now THAT's spurious!


----------



## VirginiaHuguenot (Nov 27, 2008)

Scott1 said:


> VirginiaHuguenot said:
> 
> 
> > The authenticity of this proclamation is disputed in light of the fact that it references "ye pastor" which they did not have (in Plimoth) in 1623. There are other anachronistic references in the text that make it doubtful, and its sources are modern (it is not mentioned by Bradford, if I recall correctly). Francis J. Bremer and Tom Webster, _Puritans and Puritanism in Europe and America_, p. 563, refers to this document as "spurious." So it would be wise not to lean on this too much, although the historicity aside, it is a noble sentiment.
> ...



There is an historical account of the 1621 Thanksgiving (or harvest festival) in Bradford's _Of Plimoth Plantation_ (his journal) and Edward Winslow's _Mourt's Relation_. There is a record of a day of Thanksgiving held in 1623 by public proclamation (although the text of the proclamation is not given) in Winslow's _Good Newes from New England_ (1624), but historians believe this event occurred at the end of July 1623, rather than November 1623. A day of public humiliation was proclaimed during a drought while a ship they were waiting on was late in arriving, which filled the colonists with concern causing them to examine themselves privately and corporately. The very next day there was a pleasant rainfall for the first time in weeks. After this a day of public thanksgiving was declared. Winslow said (Edward Winslow, _Good Newes from New England_, p. 56):



> it would be great ingratitude, if secretly we should smother up the same, or content ourselves with private thanksgiving for that, which by private prayer could not be obtained. And therefore another solemn day was set apart and appointed for that end; wherein we returned glory, honor, and praise, with all thankfulness, to our good God, which dealt so graciously with us;....



As far as I know the first Thanksgiving proclamation for which we have the exact text is from 1676. It was issued on June 20, 1676 in Charlestown, Mass., to be observed on June 29, 1676. It can be read online here:

The University of Oklahoma College of Law: A Chronology of US Historical Documents: The First Thanksgiving Proclamation

For an account of the first Protestant Thanksgiving worship service held in North America (near modern-day Jacksonville, FL on June 30, 1564, by French Huguenots), see here:

http://www.puritanboard.com/f18/happy-thanksgiving-1793/


----------



## Matthias (Nov 27, 2008)

turmeric said:


> "And on the morrow
> ye shall goe to ye mall
> there to celebrate the day
> known as Blacke Friday."
> ...



lol


----------



## Christusregnat (Nov 27, 2008)

turmeric said:


> "And on the morrow
> ye shall goe to ye mall
> there to celebrate the day
> known as Blacke Friday."
> ...




-----Added 11/27/2008 at 10:43:08 EST-----
I think this is authentic, but I'm sure Andrew will rebuke me if it's not 


Full Text of the Original Thanksgiving Proclamation

Thanksgiving Proclamation - The Original


Cheers,


----------



## VirginiaHuguenot (Nov 27, 2008)

Christusregnat said:


> turmeric said:
> 
> 
> > \"And on the morrow
> ...



The 1789 proclamation is authentic, but not the first. 

Since the thread is going in a, um, different direction, I'll make the obvious connection (for some where history is learned) from Plymouth Rock to the (original) Schoolhouse Rock.

[video=youtube;ofYmhlclqr4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofYmhlclqr4[/video]


----------



## Scott1 (Nov 28, 2008)

> VirginiaHuguenot
> Puritanboard Librarian
> 
> There is a record of a day of Thanksgiving held in 1623 by public proclamation (although the text of the proclamation is not given) in Winslow's Good Newes from New England (1624), but historians believe this event occurred at the end of July 1623, rather than November 1623. A day of public humiliation was proclaimed during a drought while a ship they were waiting on was late in arriving, which filled the colonists with concern causing them to examine themselves privately and corporately. The very next day there was a pleasant rainfall for the first time in weeks. After this a day of public thanksgiving was declared.



I like that, "a pleasant rainfall."

A+ research, thank you.


----------



## LawrenceU (Nov 28, 2008)

Wasn't the first proclamation / observation of a day of Thanksgiving on this continent in 1564?


----------



## VirginiaHuguenot (Nov 28, 2008)

LawrenceU said:


> Wasn't the first proclamation / observation of a day of Thanksgiving on this continent in 1564?



If you look at post #7, you will find a link to a thread about this. June 30, 1564 was the date of the first Protestant thanksgiving service in North America by French Huguenots in Florida. 

There are other earlier (Roman Catholic) claims for the title of "first Thanksgiving service" in North America. On May 23, 1541 Spanish explorer, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and his men, observed a service of thanksgiving after finding food, water, and pasture for their animals, near Amarillo, Texas. And on April 30, Spanish explorer Don Juan de Oñate and his men held a Mass of thanksgiving near El Paso, Texas. The occasion for this was his crossing the Rio Grande and making a public proclamation that he claimed all of "New Mexico" for Spain.


----------

