More Fascinating Than Fiction: The True Story of the First Thanksgiving

Americans think they know a lot about the first Thanksgiving, with many envisioning it as happy Pilgrims wearing big buckles and feasting on huge, fat turkeys. But the facts are actually more fascinating than fiction.

Take Plymouth Rock, for instance. Most accept that the big boulder marked “1620” and sitting just feet away from the water is where the Pilgrims first landed in the area. But the Pilgrims themselves never mentioned stepping off their boat onto a rock.

And the person who swore there was a rock and pointed it out to fellow Plymouth residents didn’t bring it up until he was in his 90s, claiming some of the original Pilgrims told him about it.

Thankful Despite Tragedy

As for verifiable facts, one for sure is that these religious reformers started building their first American settlement in the harsh winter of 1620-1621, even as half their number died around them.

But just a few months later, these faithful Christians who believed in thanking God for everything were already planning the first American Thanksgiving…. (Excerpt from CBN.COM)