Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1912-11-22
COY <ltoFAHpoo < NtEasHStvI

plot had been tried and punished in 1906 1t was
ordered that because of their deliverance the
English people should keep the 9Th of November
every year "as public thanksgiving to Almighty
God, that unfegned thankfulness may never be
forgotten and that all ages to may yield
praise to Gods divine majesty for the same"
The 18th of November" continued legal thanks
giving day for more than two centuries, but 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-
yided for the Sunday service. This service, how
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 colonists were the first
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 it had element of thanks
giving the day can In nowise be regarded
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 benge the 9Th OF
August in the morninge the most part of our holl
company of both shipes landed this Hand
whear the cross standeth; and thear we heard a
sermon delyvred unto us by our preacher gyvinge
God thanks for our happy metinge and safe aruall
into the country, and so returned abord again"
Massachusetts Historical society proceedings
xviii, 102)
The record made in his Brooches Bible by
William White, who came over in the May1ower
has far more significance In determining the
origin of American Thanksgiving day than
the event at Monhegan The record reads: will
lam White married on We Sd day of March. 1920
to Susannah Tilly. Peregrine White born on
board We Mayfower In Cape Cod harbor some
Born to Susannah White December 18TH We six
o'clock morning Next day meet for prayer
and thanksgiving" This meeting for prayer
and thanksgiving" not Sunday, but on
Tuesday. The fact that it not a part of the
regular Sunday service makes it more nearly ac-
cord with our idea of Thanksgiving day than
does the Monhegan event. But this similarity
is not sufficient to warrant regarding 1t as the
origin OF the American custom.
The prototype of our 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. Standish and Ave 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 twen-
" six acres and made 1t ready for cultivation
rms industry. too. had been rewarded by a hol1n-
teous harvest Now food and fuel sufficient for
the needs of the approaching winter were laid In
Then Governor Bradford ordered a Thanksgiving
the first in America
This first Thanksgiving was not for daV only
1t continued a week In a letter to friend in