The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1912-11-21

plot had been tried and punished in 1903 1t was
ordered that because of their deliverance the
English people should keep the 5th OF November
every year as public Thanksgiving to Almighty
God that unfegned thankfulness may never De
forgotten and that all ages to come may yield
praise to Gods divine majesty for the same
The 18th OF November continued a legal thanks
giving day for more than two centuries. Dut IN
later years 1t fell into disuse, and in 1888 was
abolished by parliament
Long before the advent Of the pilgrims In
Massachusetts, all rituals contained expressions
of gratitude to God for his mercies. In that OF
the Church OF England special prayers were pro-
vded for the Sunday service. This service, now
ever must be carefully distinguished from the
Thanksgiving day OF the pilgrim fathers Failure
to make this distinction has led to the groundless
claim that the Popham coonists were the rrst
to keep Thanksgiving day" In America The
service at Monhegan which this claim is based
was the regular Sunday service OF the Church OF
England and while 1t had element OF thanks
giving the day can in nowise be regarded as
Thanksgiving day as that term Is understood
Contemporary evidence refutes all claim to the
contrary.
From "A Relation of Voyage to Sagadoc' we
read as follows: "Sundaye beinge the 9th OF
August in the morninge the most part Of our holl
company OF both shipes landed on this Hand
whear the cross standeth; and thear we heard
sermon delyvred unto us by our preacher gyvinge
God thanks for our happy metinge and safe aruall
into the country, and returned abord again..
Massachusetts Historical society proceedings
xviii, 1922
The record made in his "Breeches Bible" by
William White who came over In the Mayhower
has far more significance in determining the
origin OF our American Thanksgiving day than
the event at Monhegan. The record reads: will
lam White married on ye Sd day OF March, 1920
to Susannah Ty. Peregrine White. born
board we Mayfower in Cape Cod harbor some
Born to Susannah White December 10Th ye six
O'Clock morning Next day meet for prayer
and thanksgiving" This meeting for prayer
and thanksgiving was not on Sunday, but
Tuesday. The fact that 1t was not part OF the
regular Sunday service makes 1t more nearly &C
cord with idea OF Thanksgiving day than
does the Monhegan event. But this similarity
is not sufficient to warrant our regarding 1t as the
origin OF the American custom.
The prototype of present Thanksgiving day
Is found In the harvest festival at Plymouth In
1921. The long winter that followed the estab-
lishment OF the colony had been one OF great NOR
tally and suffering. Scarcely half OF the colony
had survived It. at one time during the winter
only Brewster, Standlsh and five other hardy
ones were well enough to get about" In the
spring and summer that followed their fortunes
improved, and by autumn they had cleared TWEEN.
ty'slx acres and made It ready for cultivation
This industry, too, had been rewarded BY n boun.
teous harvest, Now food and suel sufficient for
the needs OF the approaching winter were laid in
Then Governor Bradford ordered a Thanksgiving
the first in America
This hrst Thanksgiving was not for n dav only
IL continued week In a letter to friend in