I wrote the following a few years ago for a Catholic newspaper in order to clear up common historical misconceptions.
Does anyone know details of a Russian parallel in Alaska?
THE FIRST THANKSGIVING IN AMERICA
By Stanford Espedal
Most American schoolchildren are taught that the First Thanksgiving was celebrated in the Fall of 1621 by the Puritan Separatist Pilgrims who had sailed from England, via Holland, on the Mayflower to Cape Cod and then to Plymouth Rock. During their first winter, 1620-21, 46 of their original 102 settlers died. The warrior Squanto taught them survival skills, and in the autumn of 1621 they and the Wampanoag Indians (at a ratio of 9 Pilgrims to 5 Wampanoag) celebrated the First Thanksgiving.
Here is the truth about the First Thanksgiving feast in America: In April 1541, Spanish explorer Francisco Coronado, with a group of soldiers and missionaries, left Albuquerque, New Mexico, headed northeast and crossed the Texas panhandle. They arrived in Palo Duro Canyon where, on May 29, Father Juan Padilla offered Holy Mass. A feast followed, consisting of game that had earlier been caught. Both the Mass and the feast were celebrated in thanksgiving to God for his many blessings.
The first annual Thanksgiving in America was also Catholic. In 1598, Juan de Onate led an expedition from Mexico City to New Mexico. The expedition included over 200 soldiers and colonists. Many had their families with them. Indian converts from Mexico were in the party. With the group were several thousand head of livestock, and 83 wagons carrying provisions, tools, plants and seeds. On the expedition were two Franciscan priests and six Franciscan brothers. Soon after crossing the Rio Grande (originally named by the Spanish Rio de Nuestra Senora - River of Our Lady), pagan Indians attacked and took a number of wagons and livestock. None of the people in the expedition were lost, though some of the pagans were killed. Moving further upriver, Juan de Onate and the Franciscans erected a large Cross, and Onate took possession of the land, saying �I take possession of this land today, April 30, 1598, in honor of Our Lord Jesus Christ, on this day of the Ascension of Our Lord.� Immediately afterward a High Mass was offered in thanksgiving. Then the entire group gathered for a feast of Thanksgiving to God for allowing them to arrive at the place after so many hardships along the way. The festive meal consisted of fish, game, fruits and vegetables. After this first thanksgiving banquet, the party continued upstream, and on June 24, the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, they founded the mission-town of San Juan, which is still populated to this day. For many years after this first Thanksgiving in 1598, an annual feast was celebrated by the Spanish and Christian Indians of New Mexico, in thanksgiving to God for bringing them through so many hardships, and for his blessings.
Sources:
Spanish Roots of America, Bishop David Arias, Our Sunday Visitor, 1992.
Journey America, Adam Miller, Marian Publications, 2003.
