Misplaced Pages

#143856

106-546: On Thanksgiving , 1971, David Young arrived home from his planning at the Special Investigative Unit, when his grandmother asked him, "What do you do at the White House?", he replied, "I am helping the president stop some leaks", purposely playing off on information leak versus water leak . She exclaimed, "Oh, you're a plumber!" Young, E. Howard Hunt , and G. Gordon Liddy then put up a sign on their office with

212-547: A 2015 Harris Poll , Thanksgiving was the second most popular holiday in the United States (after Christmas ), and turkey was the most popular holiday food, regardless of region, generation, gender, or race. At Thanksgiving dinner, turkey is served with a variety of side dishes that can vary from traditional, such as mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce, to ones that reflect regional or cultural heritage. Given that days of thanksgiving revolve around giving thanks,

318-497: A Calvinist alternative to Christmas, and typically involving a return to the family home, church services, a large meal and various diversions ranging from games and sports to formal balls. These celebrations were gradually disseminated throughout the US as New Englanders spread across the country, accelerating after the Civil War. Sarah Josepha Hale , a native of New Hampshire and steeped in

424-502: A Sabbath meeting, the Pilgrim observances were special days set aside during the week for thanksgiving and praise in response to God's providence." It's important to note that Baker's "New England Thanksgiving" does not refer to an annual commemoration of the Pilgrim's 1621 harvest celebration. Indeed, that 1621 event does not appear to have contributed to the early development of the modern holiday at all, as Bradford's "Of Plimoth Plantation"

530-720: A Thanksgiving meal to those in need, such as unhoused people and shelters. Nonprofits such as the Salvation Army run drives to collect basic Thanksgiving dinner food items such as canned foods, stuffing mix, butter, eggs, and turkey or chicken. Some food banks will distribute free turkeys to help people trying to assemble a Thanksgiving dinner ; for example, San Diego Food Bank gave out 14,000 turkeys in 2024. Also, some may volunteer to help others have Thanksgiving dinner on that day. In his 1955 Thanksgiving Day proclamation, President Dwight D. Eisenhower encouraged Americans to use their Thanksgiving for helping those with less. In 1945, on

636-543: A Thanksgiving turkey. Italian Americans might serve capon as the main course to the Thanksgiving meal. Irish Americans might have prime rib as their centerpiece; since beef in Ireland was once a rarity, families would save up money for this dish to signify newfound prosperity and hope. Sometimes, fowl native to the region where the meal is taking place are used; for example, Texas Monthly magazine suggested quail as

742-465: A blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such

848-402: A commonly-celebrated, patriotic holiday that would unite Americans in purpose and values. She viewed those values as rooted in domesticity and rural simplicity over urban sophistication. As a celebration of hearth and home, she also sought to cement a role for women within the identity of the young nation. Every November, Hale would focus her monthly magazine column on Thanksgiving, positioning

954-457: A day of thanksgiving, but rather as a harvest celebration. The Pilgrim feast was cooked by the four adult Pilgrim women who survived their first winter in the New World (Eleanor Billington, Elizabeth Hopkins, Mary Brewster , and Susanna White ), along with young daughters and male and female servants. According to accounts by Wampanoag descendants, the harvest feast was originally set up for

1060-465: A degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best. Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789. On January 1, 1795, Washington proclaimed a Thanksgiving Day to be observed on Thursday, February 19. President John Adams declared Thanksgivings in 1798 and 1799. Thanksgiving dinner The centerpiece of contemporary Thanksgiving in

1166-554: A devastating epidemic between 1614 and 1620. After the harsh winter of 1620–1621 killed half of the Plymouth colonists, two Native intermediaries, Samoset and Tisquantum (more commonly known by the diminutive variant Squanto, and the last living member of the Patuxet) came in at the request of Massasoit , leader of the Wampanoag , to negotiate a peace treaty and establish trade relations with

SECTION 10

#1732852132144

1272-455: A good harvest, the Pilgrims celebrated at Plymouth for three days in the autumn of 1621. The exact time is unknown, but James Baker, a former Plimoth Plantation vice president of research, stated in 1996, "The event occurred between Sept. 21 and Nov. 11, 1621, with the most likely time being around Michaelmas (Sept. 29), the traditional time." Seventeenth-century accounts do not identify this as

1378-652: A main dish. In a few areas on the West Coast , Dungeness crab is common as an alternate main dish, as crab season starts in early November. Similarly, Thanksgiving falls within deer hunting season in the Northeastern United States , and as venison is Forever a centerpiece. In Alaskan villages, whale meat is sometimes eaten. John Madden , a longtime commentator on televised NFL Thanksgiving Day games, advocated for turducken : deboned turkey, duck and chicken nested inside each other and then cooked. At

1484-510: A national custom, emphasizing the immigrants' strong religious faith and thankfulness for their survival in the New World. Thanksgiving has developed from a local event in Virginia to a more generally known holiday across the United States. The Plymouth colonists, today known as Pilgrims , had settled in a part of eastern Massachusetts formerly occupied by the Patuxet Indians who had died in

1590-529: A national holiday was writer Sarah Josepha Hale . Although she advocated for Thanksgiving in editorials in Godey's Lady's Book from 1837 onwards, Hale did not associate the Pilgrims with Thanksgiving until a brief mention in 1865. In "America's Thanksgiving Hymn", published in 1872, she credited the Pilgrims as being "free to do and pray, And keep in sober gladness Their first Thanksgiving Day". Hale did not suggest that

1696-498: A part of the national identity of the United States. The use of roasted turkey in the United States for Thanksgiving precedes Abraham Lincoln's nationalization of the holiday in 1863. In her 1827 novel Northwood; or, a Tale of New England , Sarah Josepha Hale devoted an entire chapter to Thanksgiving dinner, emphasizing many of the foods that are now considered traditional. Although many other meats are mentioned, "the roasted turkey took precedence on this occasion, being placed at

1802-410: A recreation of the imagined "First Thanksgiving" to reinforce the Pilgrim narrative and the importance of the story to an understanding of U.S. history. These pageants continue in some parts of the U.S. today. Unfortunately, what these materials usually elide, gloss over or ignore altogether is what has brought controversy to the holiday in recent years. The First National Proclamation of Thanksgiving

1908-520: A special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruits of our labor. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which we brought to

2014-496: Is also typically regarded as the beginning of the holiday shopping season . The day following Thanksgiving, Black Friday , is often considered to be the busiest shopping day of the year in the United States. Cyber Monday , the online shopping equivalent to Black Friday, is held on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Days of thanksgiving, that is, days attributed to giving thanks to deities, have existed for thousands of years and long predate

2120-669: Is better that you don't know about." Eventually, the case against Ellsberg was dismissed due to government misconduct. Aside from the Fielding burglary, there are few other activities the Plumbers were known to have been engaged in. Hunt reportedly looked into the Ted Kennedy - Chappaquiddick incident ; and Liddy reported the alleged involvement of the Kennedy administration in the assassination of South Vietnamese president Ngo Dinh Diem . After

2226-647: Is currently the United States were conducted as early as the 16th century by the Spaniards [2] and the French. These days of thanksgiving were celebrated through church services and feasting. Historian Michael Gannon claimed St. Augustine, Florida , was founded with a shared thanksgiving meal on September 8, 1565. The thanksgiving at St. Augustine was celebrated 56 years before the Puritan Pilgrim thanksgiving at Plymouth Plantation (Massachusetts), but it did not become

SECTION 20

#1732852132144

2332-480: Is sometimes colloquially called "Turkey Day". In fact, $ 983 million has been spent on turkeys alone in 2024. Alexander Hamilton proclaimed that "no citizen of the United States should refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day", and Benjamin Franklin had high regard for the wild turkey as an American icon. As Thanksgiving Day rose in popularity during the 1800s, so too did the turkey. By 1857, turkey had become part of

2438-488: Is sometimes served in the Mid-Atlantic, especially by Baltimoreans of German and Eastern European descent. Many Midwesterners (such as Minnesotans ) and Pacific Northwest residents of Norwegian or Scandinavian descent set the table with lefse . Italian Americans often include antipasti , pasta , and lasagna dishes. Mexican Americans may serve their turkey with mole and roasted corn . In Puerto Rico ,

2544-407: Is widely regarded as the most popular and most traditional, but apple pie and pecan pie are also common favorites. Sweet potato pie , mince pie , cherry pie , and chocolate cream pie are served as well. The beverages at Thanksgiving can vary as much as the side dishes, often depending on who is present at the table and their tastes. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, it

2650-505: The Campbell Soup Company to promote use of its canned cream of mushroom soup . It has since become a Thanksgiving standard. A fresh salad may be included, especially on the West Coast . A charcuterie board or relish tray, with various cheese, cured meats, crackers, pickles , olives , onions or peppers , is often included either with the meal itself or as a pre-meal appetizer . Bread rolls , biscuits , or cornbread ,

2756-510: The Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935 included pickles , green olives, celery , roast turkey, oyster stew , cranberry sauce, giblet gravy , dressing , creamed asparagus tips, snowflake potatoes, baked carrots, hot rolls , fruit salad , mince pie, fruitcake , candies , grapes , apples , clams , fish , and many other foods, along with French drip coffee , cigars , and cigarettes . Sugar, among other food commodities,

2862-469: The National Turkey Federation (and, as far back as 1873, commercial turkey farmers) has presented a live turkey to the president of the United States prior to each Thanksgiving. These turkeys were initially slaughtered and eaten for the president's Thanksgiving dinner; since 1989, the presented turkeys have typically been given a mock pardon to great fanfare and sent to a park to live out

2968-575: The Pilgrims’ 1621 harvest festival since the late 19th century. As the name implies, the theme of the holiday generally revolves around giving thanks with the centerpiece of most celebrations being a Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends . The dinner often consists of foods associated with New England harvest celebrations: turkey , potatoes (usually mashed and sweet ), squash , corn (maize), green beans , cranberries (typically as cranberry sauce ), and pumpkin pie , but has expanded over

3074-489: The "First Thanksgiving". Most of what was served, however, according to some historians, as referenced in a letter from Edward Winslow written on 11 December 1621, would have been seafood, including lobster, fish, eels, mussels and oysters. Mussels in particular were abundant in New England and could be easily harvested because they clung to rocks along the shoreline. One of the most persistent advocates for Thanksgiving as

3180-577: The American Revolutionary War, proclaimed a Thanksgiving in December ;1777 as a victory celebration honoring the defeat of the British at Saratoga . The Continental Congress , the legislative body that governed the United States from 1774 to 1789, issued several "national days of prayer, humiliation, and thanksgiving", a practice that was continued by presidents Washington and Adams under

3286-567: The Americanization of newcomers and the conscious formulation of a shared cultural heritage. Holiday observances in classrooms, including those for Washington's birthday, Memorial Day, and Flag Day "introduced youngsters to the central themes of American History and, in theory, strengthened their character and prepared them to become loyal citizens." Thanksgiving, with its non-denominational character, colonial harvest themes and images of Pilgrims and Indians breaking bread together peacefully, allowed

White House Plumbers - Misplaced Pages Continue

3392-565: The Berkeley Hundred charter in Virginia prompted President John F. Kennedy to acknowledge the claims of both Massachusetts and Virginia to America's earliest celebrations. He issued Proclamation 3560 on November 5, 1963, saying: "Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and in Massachusetts, far from home in a lonely wilderness, set aside a time of thanksgiving. On the appointed day, they gave reverent thanks for their safety, for

3498-648: The CRP. Liddy involved Hunt in the operations which would later include the Watergate burglary . Thanksgiving (United States) Thanksgiving is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Outside the United States, it is sometimes called American Thanksgiving to distinguish it from the Canadian holiday of the same name and related celebrations in other regions . The modern national celebration dates to 1863 and has been linked to

3604-618: The California break-in, Liddy—who was general counsel, a member of the finance committee of the Committee to Re-elect the President (CRP) and promoted from aide to Krogh and Young—worked with Campaign political-intelligence operations. Ehrlichman, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs and Special Investigations Unit, knew about Liddy's goal to perform an intelligence-gathering operation for

3710-750: The Constitution, and has manifested itself in the established American observances of Thanksgiving and the National Day of Prayer today. This proclamation was published in The Independent Gazetteer, or the Chronicle of Freedom , on November 5, 1782, the first being observed on November 28, 1782: By the United States in Congress assembled, PROCLAMATION. It being the indispensable duty of all nations, not only to offer up their supplications to Almighty God,

3816-552: The European colonization of North America. Ranging from general harvest festivals to more specific holidays related to thanking gods for the specific boons they provided to their worshipers or humanity in general such as the Tekh Festival thanking the goddess Hathor for the creation of alcohol. These were often celebrated with music, dancing, bonfires and the donning of accoutrements or costumes. Documented thanksgiving services in what

3922-520: The House and Senate jointly request of President Washington to proclaim a day of thanksgiving for "the many signal favors of Almighty God". Boudinot said he "could not think of letting the session pass over without offering an opportunity to all the citizens of the United States of joining, with one voice, in returning to Almighty God their sincere thanks for the many blessings he had poured down upon them." As President, on October 3, 1789, George Washington made

4028-609: The Means of Religion, for the promotion and enlargement of that Kingdom, which consisteth "in Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost. And it is further recommended, That servile Labor, and such Recreation, as, though at other Times innocent, may be unbecoming the Purpose of this Appointment, be omitted on so solemn an Occasion. George Washington , leader of the revolutionary forces in

4134-461: The People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness." Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to

4240-549: The Pilgrim thanksgiving included feasting. Other writers were less discerning. Jane G. Austin published a fictional account of the Pilgrims, Standish of Standish , in 1889. Austin described the Pilgrims a year after their arrival as feasting on turkey stuffed with beechnuts, other types of fowl, venison, boiled beef and other roasts, oysters, clam chowder, plum-porridge, hasty pudding, sea biscuit, manchet bread, butter, treacle, mustard, turnips, salad, grapes, plums, popcorn, ale, and root beer. Austin's lavish description disregarded

4346-521: The Pilgrims alone (contrary to the common misconception that the Wampanoag were invited for their help in teaching the pilgrims their agricultural techniques). Part of the harvest celebration involved a demonstration of arms by the colonists, and the Wampanoag, having entered into a mutual protection agreement with the colonists and likely mistaking the celebratory gunfire for an attack by a common enemy, arrived fully armed. The Wampanoag were welcomed to join

White House Plumbers - Misplaced Pages Continue

4452-540: The Pilgrims had adopted: boiled cornmeal mixed with vegetables and meats. There were no potatoes (an indigenous South American food not yet introduced into the global food system) and no pies (because there was no butter, wheat flour, or sugar).". Two colonists gave personal accounts of the 1621 feast in Plymouth: William Bradford , in Of Plymouth Plantation wrote: They began now to gather in

4558-501: The Plymouth settlers and the local Wampanoag tribe. Winslow sent out four men who provided a variety of fowls, sufficient to feed the colony for a week, while Massasoit 's hunters killed five deer. In the 19th century, this event became associated with the idea of a Thanksgiving feast. In a footnote in 1841, Alexander Young claimed that this event "was the first thanksgiving, the harvest festival of New England". Jamestown, Virginia , and other locations have also been suggested as sites of

4664-499: The President to cease promoting the plan, culminating in an agreement at the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation shortly before Thanksgiving in 1947. Turkey was no longer discouraged, but Eggless Thursdays remained for the rest of the year, meaning no pumpkin pie was served at the White House dinner that year. Turkey is the most common main dish of a Thanksgiving dinner, to the point that Thanksgiving

4770-695: The Providence of Almighty God, to secure for these United States, the greatest of all human Blessings, Independence and Peace: That it may please him, to prosper the Trade and Manufactures of the People, and the Labor of the Husbandman, that our Land may yield its Increase: To take Schools and Seminaries of Education, so necessary for cultivating the Principles of true Liberty, Virtue and Piety, under his nurturing Hand; and to prosper

4876-472: The Thanksgiving meal is completed with arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas ), pasteles (root tamales), and potato salad . Turkey in Puerto Rico is often stuffed with mofongo . Cuban Americans traditionally serve the turkey alongside a small roasted pork and include white rice and black beans or kidney beans. Because of the amount of food, preparation for the Thanksgiving meal may begin early in

4982-587: The Thanksgiving-Christmas season (and a fifth of the overall total coming from Thanksgiving alone), and a per capita consumption of almost 18 pounds (8.2 kg). Thanksgiving turkey is sometimes stuffed with a traditional savory bread pudding and roasted. Sage is the standard herb added to the stuffing, along with chopped onions and celery. Other ingredients, such as chopped chestnuts or other tree nuts, crumbled sausage or bacon, carrots, cranberries, raisins, and/or apples, may be added to stuffing. If

5088-483: The United States is Thanksgiving dinner , a large meal generally centered on a large roasted turkey . Thanksgiving is the largest eating event in the United States as measured by retail sales of food and beverages and by estimates of individual food intake. Along with attending church services , Thanksgiving dinner remained a central part of celebrations from the holiday's early establishment in North America. In

5194-405: The United States, an international approach to Thanksgiving has become common. Basic Thanksgiving dishes can be transformed by using flavors, techniques, and traditions from immigrants' own cuisines. Others celebrate the holiday with a variety of standard and multicultural dishes, particularly when there is a crowd to be fed, as guests' tastes can vary. A live raccoon was sent from Mississippi to

5300-486: The United States, the Thanksgiving dinner often has something of a ritual or traditional quality to it. Many Americans would regard Thanksgiving dinner as incomplete without stuffing , mashed potatoes with gravy , and cranberry sauce . A recipe for cranberry sauce to be served with turkey appeared in the first American cookbook, American Cookery (1796) by Amelia Simmons. Commonly served vegetable dishes include mashed winter squash , turnips , and sweet potatoes ,

5406-429: The White House intended to be served for the 1926 Thanksgiving feast. Calvin and Grace Coolidge decided to keep her as a pet instead and named her Rebecca . Many offerings are typically served alongside the main dish. Copious leftovers are also common following the meal proper. Traditional Thanksgiving foods are sometimes specific to the day, and although some of the dishes might be seen at any semi-formal meal in

SECTION 50

#1732852132144

5512-470: The artful and unwearied attempts of the common enemy to divide them; the success of the arms of the United States and those of their allies; and the acknowledgment of their Independence by another European power, whose friendship and commerce must be of great and lasting advantage to these States; Do hereby recommend it to the inhabitants of these States in general, to observe and request the several states to interpose their authority, in appointing and commanding

5618-632: The celebration as a pious, patriotic holiday that lived on in the memory as a check against temptation, or as a comfort in times of trial. Hale and Godey’s led the way in creating a standardized celebration, which in turn created a standardized celebrant — a standardized and true American. Her vision aimed at a broad audience: The stories in Godey’s depicted Black servants, Roman Catholics, and Southerners celebrating Thanksgiving, and becoming more American (which for Hale meant becoming more like White Protestant Northerners) by doing so. Her efforts sought to expand

5724-422: The celebration, as their farming and hunting techniques had produced much of the bounty for the Pilgrims, and contributed their own foods to the meal. Most modern imaginings of the celebration promote the idea that every party involved ate solely turkey. "While the celebrants might well have feasted on wild turkey, the local diet also included fish, eels, shellfish, and a Wampanoag dish called nasaump , which

5830-442: The chief aim is to produce happiness, and that many of the company will not be wholly happy if the mistress of the household must pass a good part of the day in the kitchen. On this account the greater the preparations made in advance the better, so as to relieve the housekeeper of as many duties and as much anxiety as possible of the holiday." It's common during this time for increased donations and charity drives to support providing

5936-552: The colonists, as both men had some knowledge of English from previous interactions with Europeans, through both trade (Samoset) and a period of enslavement (Squanto). Massasoit had hoped to establish a mutual protection alliance between the Wampanoag, themselves greatly weakened by the same plague that extirpated the Patuxet, and the better-armed English in their long-running rivalry with the Narragansett , who had largely been spared from

6042-533: The country may opt for wheat , rye , or sourdough bread as the base. The addition of ingredients such as oysters , apples , chestnuts , raisins , and sausage or the turkey's giblets may also reflect regional and historic differences. Other dishes likewise reflect the regional, cultural, or ethnic backgrounds of those who have come together for the meal. Many African Americans and Southerners serve baked macaroni and cheese and collard greens , along with chitterlings and sweet potato pie . Sauerkraut

6148-420: The country to tell a story of its origins—people leaving far off lands, struggling under harsh conditions and ultimately being welcomed to America's bounty—that children, particularly immigrant children, could easily understand and share with their families. The holiday materials were often disseminated in the form of booklets containing poetry and songs and crafts. Thanksgiving pageants at schools often involved

6254-477: The course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all

6360-481: The day of our ships arrival at the place assigned for plantation in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God". This celebration has, since the mid 20th century, been commemorated there annually at present-day Berkeley Plantation , the ancestral home of the Harrison family of Virginia . This early commemoration created the groundwork for what would later become

6466-415: The day or during the days prior. The turkey generally takes hours to prepare, cook, and rest before serving. Many side dishes can be at least partially prepared in advance, and pies may be popular desserts in part because they can be baked days or weeks in advance and stored. It is common for family members and friends from different households to bring dishes to a joint meal. The meal is often served in

SECTION 60

#1732852132144

6572-474: The dinner table, unfermented apple cider (still or sparkling) or wine are often served. Beaujolais nouveau is sometimes served; the beverage has been marketed as a Thanksgiving drink since the producers of the wine (which is made available only for a short window each year) set the annual release date to be one week before Thanksgiving beginning in 1985, and it is said to pair well with the wide variety of food served for Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving marks

6678-669: The early 16th century it was taken to Europe from Mexico by the Spanish. Its descendants later returned to America. Twentieth century commercial varieties of turkey were bred from these European descendants. The Beltsville Small White turkey was bred by the USDA at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland in response to consumer demand for a small (8-15 pound) turkey with more white meat and no dark feathers. It

6784-433: The early or middle afternoon. Maria Parloa , an early New England domestic scientist cautioned against eating too early in the day, because of the increased pressure on the cook: "During the week preceding Thanksgiving the New England housekeeper is a busy woman. All over the country, but especially in New England, men and women look forward to the holiday as a time for going to old homes,--a family day.... Remember that

6890-680: The early settlers. The tradition of eating them at Thanksgiving likely reflects their affordability for later Americans. Early North American settlers did eat turkey , but the lavish feasts that are frequently ascribed to Thanksgiving in the 17th century were a creation of nineteenth-century writers who sought to popularize a unifying holiday in which all Americans could share. The tradition of Thanksgiving dinner has often been associated in popular culture with New England . New England Puritans proclaimed days of thanksgiving to commemorate many specific events. Such days were marked by religious observances, prayer, and sometimes fasting . Church records of

6996-516: The eleventh day of October, in the year of our LORD, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-two, and of our Sovereignty and Independence, the seventh. JOHN HANSON , President. CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary. On Thursday, September 24, 1789, the first House of Representatives voted to recommend the First Amendment of the newly drafted Constitution to the states for ratification. The next day, Congressman Elias Boudinot from New Jersey proposed that

7102-437: The epidemic; the Wampanoag reasoned that, given that the Pilgrims had brought women and children, they had not arrived to wage war against them. Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to catch eel and grow corn and served as an interpreter for them until he too succumbed to disease a year later. The Wampanoag leader Massasoit also gave food to the colonists when supplies brought from England proved insufficient. Having brought in

7208-564: The first person to identify the 1621 feast as the "first Thanksgiving", but this was only because he viewed it as similar to the traditions of New England Thanksgivings that had developed independently from it over the previous two hundred years. Those traditions, and the modern holiday, were born out of the gradual homogenization and, to a degree, secularization, of multiple, separate but related days of thanksgiving throughout New England. These days were often celebrated from early November to early to mid-December, in some cases functioning almost as

7314-418: The following proclamation and created the first Thanksgiving Day designated by the national government of the United States of America: Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to

7420-402: The giver of all good, for His gracious assistance in a time of distress, but also in a solemn and public manner, to give Him praise for His goodness in general, and especially for great and signal interpositions of His Providence in their behalf; therefore, the United States in Congress assembled, taking into their consideration the many instances of Divine goodness to these States in the course of

7526-425: The great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us. And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government

7632-794: The head of the table; and well did it become its lordly stations, sending forth the rich odour of its savoury stuffing". For dessert, "the celebrated pumpkin pie...occupied the most distinguished niche" and was described as "an indispensable part of a good and true Yankee Thanksgiving". The White House Cook Book , published in 1887 by Fanny Lemira Gillette, had the following menu: oysters on half shell, cream of chicken soup, fried smelts , sauce tartare , roast turkey, cranberry sauce , mashed potatoes , baked squash , boiled onions , parsnip fritters , olives , chicken salad , venison pastry , pumpkin pie , mince pie , charlotte russe , almond ice cream, lemon jelly , hickory nut cake, cheese , fruits , and coffee . A Thanksgiving Day dinner served to

7738-547: The health of their children, for the fertility of their fields, for the love which bound them together and for the faith which united them with their God." However, according to historian James Baker, debates over where any "first Thanksgiving" took place on modern American territory are a "tempest in a beanpot". According to Baker, "the American holiday's true origin was the New England Thanksgiving. Never coupled with

7844-534: The historical record and the deaths due to starvation and malnutrition that occurred in the Plymouth Colony that winter. Nonetheless, her account was extremely popular. It was repeated by other writers, adapted for plays and public events, and adopted by school curricula. The writings of Austin and others helped to establish the inaccurate image of the Pilgrim Thanksgiving feast in popular culture and make it

7950-426: The holiday from a regional celebration to a national one not only through advocacy in her magazine but also in direct appeals to several U.S. presidents, including Abraham Lincoln, who permanently established the holiday at the national level in 1863. While the Pilgrim's story did not itself create the modern Thanksgiving holiday, it did become inextricably linked with it in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This

8056-420: The important conflict, in which they have been so long engaged; the present happy and promising state of public affairs, and the events of the war in the course of the year now drawing to a close; particularly the harmony of the public Councils which is so necessary to the success of the public cause; the perfect union and good understanding which has hitherto subsisted between them and their allies, notwithstanding

8162-518: The initial peak for seasonal consumption of eggnog , which is followed by a larger peak at Christmas . There are many regional differences as to what gets served for Thanksgiving dinner. Each state and region has its own preferences, starting with the stuffing or dressing traditionally served with the turkey. The common version is some form of mixture of white bread cubes, sage , onion , celery and parsley . Southerners generally make their dressing from cornbread , while those in other parts of

8268-557: The innumerable Bounties of his common Providence; but also to smile upon us in the Prosecution of a just and necessary war, for the Defense and Establishment of our unalienable Rights and Liberties; particularly in that he hath been pleased, in so great a Measure, to prosper the Means used for the Support of our Troops, and to crown our Arms with most signal success: It is therefore recommended to

8374-426: The latter often prepared with sweeteners such as brown sugar , molasses , or marshmallows . All three can be served mashed or roasted. Other vegetables served may include carrots or parsnips , beets , radishes , asparagus , Brussels sprouts , cauliflower , and creamed corn . Green beans are frequently served, in particular, green bean casserole . The recipe was invented in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly for

8480-468: The latter particularly in the South and parts of New England , may also be served, and macaroni and cheese is a common side dish in some Southern coastal areas. For dessert, various pies are usually served. Harriet Beecher Stowe described pie as "an English institution, which, transplanted on American soil, forthwith ran rampant and burst forth into an untold variety of genera and species." Pumpkin pie

8586-460: The legislative or executive Powers of these United States to set apart Thursday, the eighteenth Day of December next, for Solemn Thanksgiving and Praise: That at one Time and with one Voice, the good People may express the grateful Feelings of their Hearts, and consecrate themselves to the Service of their Divine Benefactor; and that, together with their sincere Acknowledgments and Offerings, they may join

8692-445: The mixture is cooked outside the bird, a stock is generally added to prevent it from drying out. A number of cultural and regional factors affect whether this is referred to as "stuffing" or "dressing". Turkeys may be deep-fried instead of roasted due to the shorter preparation time, but this method carries higher safety risks. The consumption of turkey on Thanksgiving is so ingrained in American culture that each year since 1947,

8798-547: The observation of THURSDAY the TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY OF NOVEMBER next as a day of SOLEMN THANKSGIVING to GOD for all His mercies; and they do further recommend to all ranks to testify their gratitude to God for His goodness by a cheerful obedience to His laws and by promoting, each in his station, and by his influence, the practice of true and undefiled religion, which is the great foundation of public prosperity and national happiness. Done in Congress at Philadelphia ,

8904-480: The origin of a national annual tradition. Thanksgiving services were routine in what became the Commonwealth of Virginia as early as 1607; the first permanent settlement of Jamestown, Virginia , held a thanksgiving in 1610. On December 4, 1619, 38 English settlers celebrated a thanksgiving immediately upon landing at Berkeley Hundred , Charles City. The group's London Company charter specifically required "that

9010-523: The other end of the spectrum, vegetarians or vegans may choose a tofu , seitan , or lentil-based substitute such as tofurkey , or serve vegetable-based dishes such as stuffed squash, which are more often considered sides. Vegetarian menus for Thanksgiving date back to at least 1897, when they were discussed by the Vegetarian Club of the University of Chicago . Due to the impacts of immigration in

9116-643: The penitent Confession of their manifold Sins, whereby they had forfeited every Favor; and their humble and earnest Supplication that it may please God through the Merits of Jesus Christ, mercifully to forgive and blot them out of Remembrance; That it may please him graciously to afford his Blessing on the Governments of these States respectively, and prosper the public Council of the whole: To inspire our Commanders, both by Land and Sea, and all under them, with that Wisdom and Fortitude which may render them fit Instruments, under

9222-586: The plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you, partakers of our plenty. Jeremy Bang opines that, "Local boosters in Virginia , Florida , and Texas promote their own colonists, who (like many people getting off a boat) gave thanks for setting foot again on dry land." The codification and celebration of an annual day of thanksgiving according to

9328-635: The rest of their usually short natural lives. However the first "pardon" to a turkey was given by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, and there is a monument in Hartford, Connecticut , to this one. Entrees other than turkey are sometimes served at Thanksgiving dinner, either alongside the turkey or in place of it as the main dish, depending on preference or availability. Baked ham is served at Thanksgiving in many households. Roasted goose , duck , or chicken , foods that were traditional European centerpieces of Christmas dinners , are sometimes served in place of

9434-489: The saying of grace before Thanksgiving dinner is a traditional feature of the feast. Many of the dishes in a traditional Thanksgiving dinner are made from ingredients native to the Americas , including turkey , potato , sweet potato , corn (maize) , squash (including pumpkin ), green bean , and cranberry . The Pilgrims may have learned about some of these foods from Native Americans , but others were not available to

9540-419: The service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in

9646-574: The small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. For as some were thus employed in affairs abroad, others were exercised in fishing, about cod and bass and other fish, of which they took good store, of which every family had their portion. All the summer there was no want; and now began to come in store of fowl, as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they can be used (but afterward decreased by degrees). And besides waterfowl, there

9752-467: The time do not mention food or feasting as being part of such events. A single exception records that following church services in 1636, there was "then making merry to the creatures, the poorer sort being invited of the richer." On December 11, 1621, Governor Edward Winslow of the Plymouth Colony wrote a letter in hopes of attracting more colonists. In it, he described a three-day feast shared by

9858-468: The title "The Plumbers", but it was taken down as their operations were intended to be top secret. Still, the name stuck for the group. The Plumbers came to include several Watergate figures including Frank Sturgis . Hunt was recommended by Charles Colson , and Liddy was recommended by Egil Krogh . Liddy coined his own sensitivity indicator for the group in the form of "ODESSA". ODESSA stood for " Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen ," Liddy termed

9964-417: The traditional dinner in New England. The domestic turkey eaten now is very different from the wild turkey known to the Pilgrims, Hamilton, and Franklin. Wild turkeys are native to the Americas and evolved around 5 million years ago. At least five subspecies are still found in 48 states, Mexico, and Canada. Today, the southern Mexico subspecies Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo is almost extinct, but in

10070-419: The traditions of a New England Thanksgiving, was the longtime editor of Godey's Ladies Book , the most widely circulated periodical in the antebellum U.S. Hale was the chief promoter of the modern idea of the holiday in the 19th century, from the foods served to the decorations to the role of women in putting it all together. Concerned by increasing factionalism in American society, Hale envisioned Thanksgiving as

10176-496: The unit's mission as "directed to eliminate subversion of the secrets of the administration." He marked the Plumber's official papers with the monicker. Some authors believe Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer John Paisley was a member of the Plumbers. Paisley was assigned to the CIA's Office of Security, of which Nixon campaign security coordinator and Watergate burglar James McCord

10282-538: The years to include specialties from other regions of the United States, such as pecan pie (the American South) and wild rice stuffing (the Great Lakes region ) as well as international and ethnic dishes. Other Thanksgiving customs include charitable organizations offering thanksgiving dinner for the poor, attending religious services , and watching or participating in parades and American football matches. Thanksgiving

10388-507: Was rationed from 1942 to 1946 . In 1947, as part of a voluntary rationing campaign, the Truman administration attempted to promote "Poultryless Thursdays", discouraging Americans from eating poultry or egg products on Thursdays. Because Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday, this meant that turkey and pumpkin pie, two Thanksgiving staples, would be discouraged (pumpkin pie because it contains eggs). The National Poultry and Egg Board furiously lobbied

10494-566: Was a great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc. Besides, they had about a peck a meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to the proportion. Which made many afterward write so largely of their plenty here to their friends in England, which were not feigned but true reports. Edward Winslow , in Mourt's Relation wrote: Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after

10600-738: Was given by the Continental Congress in 1777 from its temporary location in York, Pennsylvania , while the British occupied the national capital at Philadelphia. Delegate Samuel Adams created the first draft. Congress then adopted the final version: For as much as it is the indispensable Duty of all Men to adore the superintending Providence of Almighty God; to acknowledge with Gratitude their Obligation to him for Benefits received, and to implore such farther Blessings as they stand in Need of: And it had pleased him in his abundant Mercy, not only to continue to us

10706-715: Was introduced commercially in 1947 and dominated the market for nearly 20 years. The Small White was supplanted by the Broad Breasted White turkey, bred specifically for large feasts such as Thanksgiving. These turkeys can grow to over 40 pounds, but the breed must be artificially bred and suffers from health problems due to its size. It is estimated that more than 99% of the American turkeys eaten are Broad Breasted Whites. In 2006, American turkey growers were expected to raise 270 million turkeys, to be processed into five billion pounds of turkey meat valued at almost $ 8 billion, with one third of all turkey consumption occurring in

10812-414: Was largely due to the introduction in U.S. schools of "an annual sequence of classroom holiday activities through which civic education and American patriotism were indoctrinated." The late 19th and early 20th century were a time of massive immigration to the U.S. The changing demographics prompted not only xenophobic responses in the form of restrictive immigration measures, but also a greater push towards

10918-456: Was not published until the 1850s and the booklet "Mourt's Relation" was typically summarized by other publications without the now-familiar thanksgiving story. In fact, by the eighteenth century, the original booklet appeared to be lost or forgotten although a copy was later rediscovered in Philadelphia in 1820, with the first full reprinting in 1841. In a footnote the editor, Alexander Young, was

11024-561: Was once a member. On August 9, 1971, Young's memo indicates he met with Paisley and OS Director Howard Osborn, in which Paisley provided a list of objectives for the Special Investigations Unit. The Plumbers' first task was the burglary of the office of Daniel Ellsberg 's Los Angeles psychiatrist, Lewis J. Fielding , in an effort to uncover evidence to discredit Ellsberg, who had leaked the Pentagon Papers . The operation

11130-468: Was reportedly unsuccessful in finding Ellsberg's file and was thus reported to the White House. However, Fielding himself stated the file was in his office; he found it on the floor on the morning after the burglary and quite clearly, someone had gone through it. In a September 1971 conversation, John Ehrlichman advised Nixon, "We had one little operation; it's been aborted out in Los Angeles which, I think,

11236-412: Was usual for Americans to consume hard cider and alcoholic punches . Prohibition in the 1920s restricted legal Thanksgiving options to milk, water, and lemonade. Pitchers of sweet tea were often found on Southern tables even before prohibition and remain popular. Coffee is also frequently served at the end of Thanksgiving dinner. Spirits or cocktails may be offered before the main meal. On

#143856