Thanksgiving’s Different Faces in Revolutionary America

GratitudeGiveawayHopButtonWelcome to my blog, "The British Are Coming, Y'all!" From 17–27 November, I'm participating with several hundred other bloggers in the "Gratitude Giveaways Hop," accessed by clicking on the logo on the left. All blogs in this hop offer reader-appreciation giveaways, and we’re all linked, so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another. But here on my blog, I’m posting essays from Relevant History author guests on the theme of gratitude and thanksgiving. We'll give away books and gifts during the eleven days, to show appreciation for our readers. To find out how to qualify for the giveaways on my blog, read through each day’s Relevant History post below and follow the directions. Then click on the Gratitude Hop logo so you can move along to another blog. Enjoy!

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The Declaration of Independence can be viewed as a long, specific list of points on which Britain and the patriot faction in its North American colonies disagreed. In the practice of thanksgiving, we find another example of those ideological differences.

During the first six decades of the eighteenth century, each of Britain's colonies celebrated events such as bountiful harvests in separate ways. The colonies didn't unite for the first time in thanksgiving until after the Congress had declared independence from Britain, and the Continental and British armies were slugging it out. The Congress then appointed specific thanksgiving days and recommended the observation of them for each state. Here are those days of thanksgiving:

  • 18 December 1777, to celebrate the Continental Army's victory over Crown forces at Saratoga
  • 30 December 1778, to honor the alliance with France
  • 7 December 1780, to rejoice that George Washington had avoided being captured by Crown forces during Benedict Arnold's defection
  • 13 December 1781, to celebrate the Continental Army's victory over Crown forces at Yorktown

Today, residents of the United States might be baffled at the austere nature of these thanksgiving days for those who were patriots. Each day was designated a day of fasting and prayer. No feasting, no playing. Many patriots who were Christians eschewed revelry, particularly when it was associated with a religious holiday such as Christmas. They sought to distinguish themselves from celebrations that they considered corrupt and immoral. Some of those celebrations were associated with Britain and the Anglican Church. Thus Christmas and Congress-designated days of thanksgiving were somber, low-key affairs.

In contrast are the celebrations of gratitude from loyalists and Crown forces. M. E. Kemp mentioned the flourish with which Guy Fawkes' Day was celebrated in the colonies: fireworks, bonfires, feasting, drinking, brawling. Colonists had good reason to celebrate; had Guy Fawkes and his cohorts been successful in the infamous "Gunpowder Plot" of 1605, the House of Lords would have been blown up, and King James I of England might have been assassinated. Twenty-first century Britons continue to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day.

At the time of the War of Independence, most people associated with the British empire were still honoring the ancient, annual rhythm of solstices and equinoxes. (Consider how many of them made a living off the land and thus had to stay attuned to the seasons.) So for the winter solstice, Crown forces might have had a feast and dance similar to the Yule party I depict in my third book, Camp Follower, with roast pork and vegetables for men of rank and file, and a multi-course feast for officers, followed by dancing. The customs of Yule log and bonfire at the center of such festivities hearkened back to practices of Neolithic people who, on the shortest day of the year, gave thanks for the return of the sun.

Regardless of whether we prefer our thanksgiving no-frill or well-adorned, at its heart, every celebration of gratitude is about pausing to acknowledge that each of us is part of something much larger than a simple congregation of individuals. Life endows us with certain blessings. Perhaps the greatest show of gratitude we can make is in converting our unique blessings into gifts that help others.

Happy Thanksgiving! For what are you grateful?

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Comments

Thanksgiving’s Different Faces in Revolutionary America — 15 Comments

  1. I agree that many Americans forget or ignore the original meaning of the Thanksgiving holiday, but I also know that most of them don’t know their country’s history very well. I believe one way of using the gift you speak of to help others would be to remind them of the unique and wonderful history of this nation, as you have done with this post. Great job!

  2. Suzanne, I must admit to being old enough to remember 4th of July speeches preceding the games at the neighborhood park, Christmas services before dinner, Memorial Day wreath laying on family graves, and more. Thanksgiving was, of course, a midweek event, rather than a four-day getaway. All of these occasions were honored with family who explained the context, rather than deferring to schools.

  3. Liz, we’re from another generation. I remember all of that. Stores allowed for Thanksgiving, not putting up Christmas decorations until December. November belonged to Veterans’ Day and Thanksgiving. But now the commercialism that’s been grafted onto Christmas consumes 25% of the year in stores. The free-for-all of Black Friday encourages people to look past the giving of thanks straight into buying.

  4. I have been enjoying these posts that show the distinct history behind this often misunderstood holiday. I like the point about the Colonials being so thankful for things like safety for their army and leaders. With friends overseas these last several years, I have made similar statements of thanks.
    sophiarose1816@gmail.com

  5. Hi Sophia Rose! I’m going to play Devil’s Advocate for a moment. :-)
    Crown forces in America also celebrated their victories and the safety of their leaders. (The bodyguards and spy networks surrounding British generals like Cornwallis were constantly foiling assassination and abduction attempts.) You understand the concerns of having friends overseas, even if they aren’t in the military. Imagine how loved ones in Britain both dreaded and looked forward to the post for news of their soldiers.
    This is why the study of History is relevant. You see the other side, and you realize that they’re you.

  6. Very interesting post about the early Puritan celebrations. Hadn’t thought about it like that, but it makes sense.
    This year I’m very grateful that my brother, who was in ICU just last week, is back home.
    drainbamagd.gyzmo at gmail.com

  7. Thank you for this thought-provoking and informative post, Suzanne. Though so many Americans are experiencing tough times right now, I am grateful that we all have the freedom to pursue our individual passions and dreams.
    lsusanreilly at gmail.com

  8. Thanks for the link, Liz. Potatoes are definitely the latecomers to the food scene. A lot of people don’t realize that potatoes weren’t eaten in the U.S. until the 1800s.

  9. I’m grateful that even though our Thanksgiving celebration isn’t as austere as those three hundred years past, it remains a celebration more meaningful than commercial. (And I’m also grateful it isn’t as austere!)