Written by Lucia Winkler. Edited by Naomi Jalloh.
While it is largely believed that the first Thanksgiving was shared between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans, it may have been celebrated decades beforehand in Florida. The year was 1565, and Spanish Admiral Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilé and his crew approached St. Augustine.
Upon arrival, Menéndez kissed a 250-foot cross held on their ship. In doing so, he formally claimed the land for God and his country. The “Great Cross” remains on site to this day and has become a monument and tourist attraction.
In celebration, Menéndez and his crew shared a feast with the Natives in the area. The fleet’s captain wrote that they ate a stew called cocido, made of salted pork and garbanzo beans. This is vastly different from the traditional Thanksgiving dishes served today.
Some historians argue that this was also not the first Thanksgiving. In fact, it had come a year prior. French Huguenots had secured the first European settlement in the U.S., Fort Caroline, located in present-day Jacksonville. They joined with the local Natives to share Thanksgiving. This marks the decent relations between the French and Native Americans that would come. However, Menéndez and his forces attacked Fort Caroline only a few weeks after. This was due to religious differences and territorial conflicts. This violent event washed away any memory of the 1564 Thanksgiving.
Despite all of this, some historians have concluded that neither the 1564 nor 1565 Thanksgiving counts as the first Thanksgiving. One argument has been made that neither the French nor Spanish Thanksgivings adequately represent the American history of Thanksgiving, because the U.S. originated from a British colony. Additionally, author James W. Baker argues that a “first” Thanksgiving can’t be determined because the Thanksgiving tradition was common at the time.
Thanksgiving remains a time of thankfulness to this day, whether one is thankful for our country, or for a week off of school. Traditional Thanksgiving meals differ from those of the 1564 and 1565 menus - and they’re even quite different from what the pilgrims were eating. The Pilgrims and Natives shared venison (deer), wildfowl including eagle, seafood, nuts, roots, and many other foods distinct from our traditional Thanksgiving dishes. Whether Thanksgiving came long before the Pilgrims or not, new Thanksgiving traditions have been established, such as the New York’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Therefore, Thanksgiving reflects our development of a national culture.
