by Grace McCullagh

When Americans gather each November to celebrate Thanksgiving, the menu usually includes turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pies. These foods have become iconic symbols of the holiday. But the very first Thanksgiving, held in 1621 by the Pilgrims and the native people in Plymouth, Massachusetts, looked completely different. By examining historical journals, cultural practices, and the environment of New England at the time, we can better understand what the first Thanksgiving meal truly included, and how it reflected the lives of the people who prepared it. Understanding what was actually served helps us learn more about the cultures, resources, and cooking traditions of the time.

The event we call the “First Thanksgiving” took place after the Pilgrims’ first successful harvest in the New World. The Pilgrims, who were English settlers seeking religious freedom, struggled through their first harsh winter and lost about half their population. Thanks to the help of the Native Americans, who taught them vital skills like planting corn with fish fertilizer, finding edible plants, and catching local seafood, the Pilgrims were able to grow enough food by the fall of 1621 to feel secure about surviving the next winter. This celebration lasted three days and was attended by about 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag men. It was not called “Thanksgiving” at the time; instead, it was simply a harvest feast and a time of alliance between the two groups. The menu was based on what was naturally available in the region, what had been successfully harvested, and what both cultures knew how to prepare.

Historians don’t have a full menu, but journals from the time give us strong clues. Meat was the center of the meal. The Native American guests brought several deer, making venison one of the main dishes. This is the only food specifically mentioned in historical records. The Native American guests brought five deer as a gift. Venison would have been roasted over an open fire or cooked in stews. Because deer were plentiful in the region, this was likely the most abundant meat at the feast. Their plates also included ducks, geese, and possibly turkey. Though many people assume turkey was the main dish, it was probably only one of several birds served. Ducks and geese were easier to hunt and more common at the time. Because Plymouth was near the coast, both groups ate seafood regularly. Seafood may have included fish, such as bass or cod, lobster, which was abundant at the time, clams, mussels, and eel. Seafood was likely baked, smoked, dried, or cooked in stews.The Pilgrims also grew and gathered many plants, which most likely were also included in the feast. Corn was absolutely central to the meal. The Pilgrims learned from the Wampanoag how to plant and harvest it successfully. Corn was the most reliable crop and probably one of the largest parts of the meal. They didn’t eat corn on the cob; instead, they ground it into cornmeal to make porridges similar to oatmeal, bread-like dishes called “pottage”, and thick stews. Some root vegetables may have also appeared at the table, such as onions, turnips, and carrots. However, potatoes were not part of the meal, as they were not yet common in New England. An assortment of seasonal nuts and berries, such as chestnuts, acorns, grapes, and cranberries were most likely also part of the menu on the first thanksgiving. Pumpkins and squash were common, but sugar and butter were not, so there were no pumpkin pies. Pumpkins may have been hollowed out and baked whole or boiled and mashed.

Many traditional Thanksgiving foods did not exist in 1621. There were no potatoes, very little bread due to a lack of wheat flour, no sweeteners to make things such as cranberry sauce or sweet desserts, and no widespread pigs for ham. Modern Thanksgiving foods reflect later American traditions, not the original feast. The First Thanksgiving menu is important not only because of what was eaten, but because it reveals the success of the early pilgrims and the early cooperation of them with native americans. The meal was as much about diplomacy and survival as it was about celebration. The menu of the First Thanksgiving was not the sweet, buttery, turkey centered meal we enjoy today. Instead, it was a practical, resource based feast featuring venison, wild birds, seafood, corn-based dishes, squash, nuts, and seasonal fruits. By exploring what was truly served in 1621, we gain a more accurate understanding of American history and a deeper appreciation for the cultures that shaped the earliest harvest celebration in New England.