While it is always fun to talk about how Squanto and the Native Americans helped save the colony in Plymouth and celebrated the first thanksgiving, it would be beneficial to students if they learned the real story of where thanksgiving came from and why we celebrate it today.
Yes, the colonists in Plymouth celebrated a Thanksgiving feast with the Wompanoag tribe, however, this tradition did not stick with consistency through today. During the Revolutionary War there were sometimes several thanksgiving days in a year marking key victories or achievements. The "holiday" of thanksgiving didn't become a reality until 1863 when Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November to be a national day of thanksgiving. However, it was not until 1942 that a federal law declared thanksgiving as the 4th (and typically the last) Thursday of November as a national holiday of Thanksgiving.
So as we teach our students the history of thanksgiving, it's perfectly ok to mention Squanto and the Pilgrims, but lets not forget to give credit where credit is due and give Thanksgiving to two of the most influential presidents in our history, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Happy Thanksgiving!
-MB
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