Thanksgiving at the Mill: Cultural and Culinary Origins
The First Thanksgiving:
Throughout history, most agricultural societies have celebrated harvest festivals. Native Americans celebrated with rituals and dances like the Lenape’s Green Corn Dance.
The 1621 harvest feast between the Wampanoag people and the Pilgrims is often associated with the first Thanksgiving, but much of the story is based on fiction. The Wampanoag and the Pilgrims had already formed an alliance, and the feast was intended to thank the Wampanoag for teaching the colonists how to cook.
What was on the menu?
Meat: Venison, likely provided by the Native Americans
Seafood: Shellfish like lobster, clams, and mussels were abundant on the coast
Vegetables: Pumpkins, native to America, were a staple crop. Probably served boiled or roasted
Fruit: Cranberries are native to the region and could have been part of the meal
Grains: Corn would have been ground into a porridge or meal. There is evidence of a gristmill in Jamestown in 1621, but it is unclear whether the corn was ground using a mill or by mortar and pestle.
The modern Thanksgiving
1863: President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November a national day to thank God.
1939: Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week to spur retail sales during the Great Depression. Known as Franksgiving, the policy change was highly unpopular.
1941: Roosevelt reluctantly signed a bill to make Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November.
Today, Thanksgiving has lost much of its original religious significance and now centers on cooking and sharing a meal with family and friends.
What’s on the menu now?
Turkey: Synonymous with the holiday, but probably wasn’t on the original menu
Stuffing: AKA “dressing.” Recipes not only vary by region but from household to household
Mashed potatoes: Native to Peru, potatoes were brought to America by Irish immigrants
Macaroni and Cheese: Pennsylvania’s most popular Thanksgiving side dish of 2023
Sweet Potatoes: Baked, roasted, candied, or in a casserole
Green Bean Casserole: Created in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly at the Campbell Soup Company
Cranberry Sauce: Boiled down with juices into a jam or canned as a jelly
Pie: Apple, pumpkin, sweet potato, and pecan pie.
Cornbread…
Last but certainly not least is Cornbread. Cornbread is one of America's oldest foods! The cornbread served on the first Thanksgiving would have probably used maple syrup or fruit as a sweetener in the absence of sugar. Before baking powder, people used pearlash, a purified potash, as a leavening agent. Native Americans were the first to use pearlash to leaven their breads.