The First Thanksgiving Wasn't in Plymouth

Maybe I forgot; maybe I was uninformed, but tonight I learned that The First Thanksgiving was celebrated, sans Pilgrims, at the historical Berkeley Plantation in Virginia a full year and 17 days before the Pilgrims even set sail from Plymouth, England.

Of course, the historical Berkeley Plantation was neither historical nor a plantation (can you still use that word?) on that fateful first Thanksgiving:

The first Thanksgiving celebration wasn't a feast at all—no turkey, no harvest and no Pilgrims. That's right: Contrary to popular belief, the first Thanksgiving in the New World was actually held one year and 17 days before the Pilgrims set sail from Plymouth, England, and not a single morsel of food was involved.

Capt. John Woodlief and 37 other settlers held a short religious service on Dec. 4, 1619, the day they arrived at Berkeley Plantation in present-day Charles City, Virginia, after a two-and-a-half-month voyage. The group of young men, which included a shoemaker, cook, sawyer and gun maker, had set sail from Bristol, England, aboard the ship Margaret.

And here's the really politically incorrect part:

On the first Thanksgiving Day, they knelt down and gave thanks for their safe arrival in accordance with their charter, which stated, "Wee ordaine that the Day of our ship arrivall at the place assigned for Thanksgiving to Almighty God." President Kennedy officially recognized Berkeley Plantation as the site of the first Thanksgiving in 1963.

A lot of other historical firsts happened there as well. Be sure to visit the above linked Berkeley Plantation site. This would be a great place to visit if you're ever in the Williamsburg area.

(Photo of Berkeley Plantation courtesy of NIAHD Journals)