Frank Buckley Interviews
Camilla Townsend, America's First Thanksgiving
Nov 27, 2019
Camilla Townsend, expert on Native American history, discusses America's first Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. She explains why the pilgrims held a celebration feast, reveals the menu and guests, and discusses the relationship between the pilgrims and Native Americans. The podcast also explores the accuracy of the story, the role of Sguanto in the pilgrims' survival, and the inter-generational transmission of Native American losses.
42:08
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Quick takeaways
- The first Thanksgiving in America was a collaborative effort between the Pilgrims and Native Americans, with the Native Americans teaching the Pilgrims how to farm and coming together for a meal.
- The traditional Thanksgiving meal that we know today was not the same as the first Thanksgiving in 1621, and the interactions between the Pilgrims and Native Americans ultimately led to devastating consequences for the Native American populations.
Deep dives
The First Thanksgiving Celebration
The first Thanksgiving celebration in America took place in November 1621, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Pilgrims, who had arrived the year before, worked closely with a Patuxet Indian named Tisquantum (also known as Squanto) to celebrate their first harvest. The Native Americans taught the Pilgrims how to farm in the area, and the two groups came together for a meal. However, this celebration marked the beginning of devastating losses for the Native American populations, as they were eventually pushed off their land and faced warfare with the European settlers.
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