Do you know what really happened during the first Thanksgiving?

We think we know what happened — why it was held, how the Wampanoag were invited, what the English ate. It is easier to believe this tale than to look at the facts.

As the story goes, the English sailed from England on the Mayflower, landed at Plymouth Rock, and had a good harvest in 1621. So, the governor (William Bradford) held a feast to celebrate and invited a group of friendly Native Americans, including the Wampanoag chief Massasoit, and they feasted on fowl and deer...

But “not exactly,” says Ramona Peters, the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.

Did you know:

• The English did not even land at Plymouth Rock.
• The English did not find an empty land.
• The original feast lasted for three days.
• The holiday wasn't even proclaimed until 1777.

... and that is only the beginning.

Download the real story of the first Thanksgiving, as shared by descendants of the Wampanoag Tribe and descendants of the English in Plymouth Colony — learn what really happened in 1621 and how those events have shaped the reality for Native American communities today.

Share this resource with a friend who needs to know the real story of Thanksgiving.