Did Florida Have the First Thanksgiving?? Spoiler Alert: YES! (Probably.)
An absolute historical injustice has been committed in textbooks for centuries, and here at MouseEarsTV, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to right that wrong. Move over, Plymouth – The Sunshine State is coming through!!
Get ready for the REAL Thanksgiving story your teacher never told you.
The Thanksgiving LIE!
Before we dissect the truth, let’s take a quick glance at the myth we’ve all been fed with our turkey and stuffing every year.
The story goes that English pilgrims sailed over on the Mayflower in 1620, founded a colony in Plymouth, Massachusetts, then celebrated a harvest festival – the “first” Thanksgiving – with the local Wampanoags in 1621.1
Okay. Yes. That did actually happen. (And there is definitely more to it than that.) But it wasn’t the first Thanksgiving.
Like an unsettling amount of American history, Thanksgiving as we know it is largely the product of myth-making. This feast was mentioned, in scant detail, in two eye-witness accounts: a letter written by Edward Winslow and a book published by William Bradford 20 years after the fact.2
Over a century later, in 1789, President George Washington declared “a day of public thanks-giving” to be held on Thursday, November 26th.3
However, Washington’s thanksgiving proclamation wasn’t about commemorating Plymouth, it was made to “unite in rendering unto [Providence] our sincere and humble thanks–for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation.”4
Washington set many precedents throughout his presidency, but interestingly, this tradition was one not faithfully kept by subsequent presidents. Nevertheless, the Thanksgiving holiday would gain new life – and new meaning – in the hands of a budding author.
The Plymouth manuscripts of Winslow and Branford were rediscovered by Alexander Young who, in 1841, published Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers.5 His footnote about these accounts said: “This was the first Thanksgiving, the great festival of New England.”6
This seemed to imply a connection, a direct precursor, even, to Washington’s national thanksgiving holiday. Whether or not that’s what he was going for is hard to say. But what we can say is this: Alex obviously didn’t know about Florida.
(Photo: Picryl)
His errant footnote got completely cemented into the national psyche during the Civil War when, in a bid for unity, President Abraham Lincoln made the Thanksgiving Proclamation.7 Though Lincoln did not mention the pilgrims in his proclamation, the history of the “first” thanksgiving was now prominent enough to be intertwined with the newly appointed national holiday.
So, Thanksgiving has been celebrated with the pilgrims in mind ever since.
Well, until now.
The REAL First Thanksgiving – In Florida!
Over 50 years before the Mayflower left England, intrepid Spaniards were claiming a tropical peninsula they dubbed “La Florida” for their king.
The explorers were led by none other than the legendary Pedro Menéndez de Avilés.
At age 14, Menéndez had run away from home to become a sailor, eventually earning himself a spot in the Spanish Navy. He relentlessly fought and defeated pirates in epic fashion, which so impressed the king of Spain that he granted Menéndez permission to start a colony in Florida (and drive out the French with his fighting skills).8
On September 8, 1565, Menéndez and his 800 Spanish settlers finally came ashore at a spot they christened Saint Augustine.9 Trumpets sounded and artillery crashed in a glorious, celebratory cacophony as Menéndez waded through the waters and onto the newfound shore.10
Being devout Catholics, Menéndez and his crew immediately held a Mass of Thanksgiving. The service was led by Saint Augustine’s first pastor, Father Francisco Lopez.11 (This was just 300 yards north of the Castillo de San Marcos, and is marked today by a 250-foot tall cross.)
Curious members of the Timucua tribe (whose village, called Seloy, had apparently just been renamed) looked on, then proceeded to greet the Spaniards peacefully.12
With the mass complete, it was time to eat! Menéndez invited the Timucuans to join them, and everyone sat down together for a communal feast. The menu was leftovers from the Spanish voyage: likely cocido (a stew made from salted pork and garbanzo beans seasoned with garlic13), hard sea biscuits, and red wine to drink.
If the Timucuans brought food to the table, too, then turkey, venison, fish, gopher tortoise (oh no!), corn, and squash may also have been served.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much information about specifics like the menu or conversations that were had. Father Lopez simply recorded that “A large number of Indians watched these proceedings and imitated all that they saw done.”14
Though details might be scant, it doesn’t change the fact that this definitely was the first Thanksgiving in Florida.
Or was it?
ANOTHER First Thanksgiving?! (Still in Florida)
So, it turns out the first Thanksgiving in Florida is even more controversial than we thought.
While historians are finally coming around to the fact Plymouth isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and that the first Thanksgiving happened in Florida. . .there’s actually still a question of where in Florida.
You see, a year before Menéndez threw his big Thanksgiving bash with the Timucuans, French Captain René Goulaine de Laudonnière led his own group of Huguenots to present-day Jacksonville, Florida.15
The French were also welcomed by the Timucuan people, and they held a Thanksgiving celebration on June 30, 1564.
“We sang a song of Thanksgiving unto God,” Laudonnière wrote in his journal, “beseeching Him that it would please His Grace to continue His accustomed goodness toward us.”16
Well, as long as the first Thanksgiving was in the Sunshine State.
Myths & Mashed Potatoes
Perhaps the biggest Thanksgiving myth is that cranberry sauce actually tastes good.
But let’s not get into that.
In the spirit of abolishing Thanksgiving myths, or at least trying to paint a fuller picture, I suppose I ought to mention here that other states like Texas, Virginia, and Maine make claims of even earlier Thanksgivings than Florida’s.17 (Not that we believe them, of course.)
But with so many contenders, how did Plymouth manage to whisk away this holiday? Alex Young’s footnote about it being first helped, but ultimately, Plymouth won out because the British won out over France and Spain. It’s the tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, Beauty and the – er, sorry – “victor writes the history.”
But now that you know the truth, you have an excuse to celebrate even MORE Thanksgivings all year long! And frankly, that kind of rocks. Even if the Sunshine State didn’t host the first Thanksgiving in America (which is still up for debate!) that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the first Thanksgiving in the state of Florida.
I think on June 30th and/or September 8th, we should all have a fine meal with our families and remember our blessings.
Actually, I’m beginning to think that maybe we should celebrate Florida’s Thanksgiving every day.
This is your MouseEarsTV myth-buster signing off. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
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Photo: Unsplash
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