The First Real Thanksgiving – Commentary by David Anderson 11/24/2003

The Berkeley Plantation in Charles City, Virginia is the site of the first Thanksgiving. And according to former Presidents (Kennedy in 1963, et.al.), Berkeley is home to the country's first real Thanksgiving.

Everyone has been taught since elementary school that Thanksgiving originated with the Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts, you know, that state that’s way above the Mason-Dixon line. Well not quite. The circumstances surrounding the holiday have been misinterpreted just enough to misshape the country's perception and history of the first Thanksgiving and its traditions.

Indeed, Plymouth was the site of a great three-day feast between the Pilgrims and Indians in 1621 . But in the strict sense of the holiday, it was not a thanksgiving, but a harvest festival. Given what we know about the religious convictions of the early settlers, a thanksgiving was a very solemn affair, focused entirely on prayer, not party.

Such a pious day took place along the banks of the James River just east of Richmond on December 4, 1619 . After surviving Jamestown during the “starving time,” John Woodlief and his crew, which included a shoemaker, cook, sawyer and gun maker, docked their ship, Margaret and climbed a grassy slope where they dropped to their knees and gave thanks. Marking that spot today is a brick gazebo with the following words etched:

“Wee ordaine that the day of our ships' arrival at the place assigned for plantacone in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of Thanksgiving to Almighty God.”

Today, we use President George Washington’s proclamation to mark Thanksgiving, “acknowledge with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially for affording them an opportunity to establish a Constitution of Government for their safety.”

This Thanksgiving, we pray, that the Courts across this land will not outlaw Thanksgiving, as it “acknowledges God” for our safety and well being.

David Anderson is a dedicated activist who lives in Conyers and he's a volunteer contributor to the Georgia Heritage Council.

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"To those who cite the First Amendment as reason for excluding God from more and more of our institutions everyday; I say: The First Amendment of the Constitution was not written to protect the people of this country from religious values; it was written to protect religious values from government tyranny." --President Ronald Reagan

"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports....And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure--reason & experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle." -- President George Washington

More Resources:
Richmond Dispatch article on First Thanksgiving
Virginia's Tourism Site
Williamsburg Convention & Visitor's Bureau
Berkeley Plantation Website
Today in History (December 4th) - Library of Congress
James River Plantations