In Defense of Traditional Thanksgiving History
Two Thanksgivings ago the New York Times ran an op-ed by Professor James E. McWilliams on the first Thanksgiving. According to McWilliams, the Pilgrims found the Native American food “exceedingly filthy and most execrable” and the holiday’s strong association with food was an invention arising out of the mid-19th century. McWilliams’ attack on our traditional view of history is a fashionable sport in academia. When such historical revisions are accurate, it’s important for us to amend our understanding of certain events. On the other hand, undermining long-held beliefs of history is such a guaranteed attention-grabber that some will stretch the truth in order to make waves. Or, worse, they’ll do it to conform with a differing worldview.
But Jim Lindgren of the Volokh Conpiracy fisks the piece and McWilliams’ evidence to argue that the Pilgrims actually liked the food they shared with the Native Americans and that from the beginning the holiday has been associated with food and thanksgiving. Indeed, Lindgren implies that nearly all of the stereotypical views we have of that first thanksgiving holiday are well founded.
Happy Thanksgiving!
One Response to “In Defense of Traditional Thanksgiving History”
This was an enjoyable read to start the morning; It certainly appears that Professor McWilliam’s editorial is a complete fabrication, and I always find such antics entertaining. If anything, it reminds us that even our most venerated information sources must be digested with the proverbial grain of salt.
That said, I’ve never found such discussions to be exceedingly relevant; Like arguments concerning the proximity of real birth-date of Christ to Dec. 25th or the ancient pagan associations of Halloween, worry over the pilgrims’ enjoyment of the original Thanksgiving feast is academic (at best).
Ultimately, the cultural associations of a holiday transcend its original purpose – in this case to count our blessings and be thankful for a plentiful harvest, even if for most of us the bounty gathered has nothing to do with farming. This, of course, raises the question, ‘How much does the origin of a holiday actually have to do with its perpetuation?’
Certainly, the stated origin of a holiday defines the associated rites and rituals, but it’s equally certain that equivalent forms of our modern holidays existed before the attached historical events had even occurred. It’s possible that our attachment to specific seasonal celebrations go beyond even cultural associations, reflecting deeper needs in our communal psyche; I, for one, find this a much more interesting subject of contemplation than the possible indigestion of centuries-dead Englishmen.