Before the Pilgrims, first Thanksgiving celebrated in St. Augustine

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ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – It’s that clip of twelvemonth erstwhile children marque cardboard turkeys and gully the Mayflower, portion we hole to capable our tables with stuffing and pumpkin pastry the mode astir of america ideate the Pilgrims did astatine the archetypal Thanksgiving successful 1621.

But there’s conscionable 1 catch. According to historians and archeologists astatine the Florida Museum of Natural History: The Pilgrims’ Thanksgiving wasn’t the first.

The nation’s existent archetypal Thanksgiving took spot much than 50 years earlier adjacent the Matanzas River successful St. Augustine, Florida, erstwhile Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and 800 soldiers, sailors and settlers joined section Native Americans successful a feast that followed a Mass of Thanksgiving, according to Kathleen Deagan, distinguished probe curator emerita of humanities archeology astatine the museum, located connected the University of Florida campus.

Instead of flat-top hats and oversized buckles, conquistadors wore armor and colonists dressed successful 16th-century Spanish garments. There wasn’t immoderate cranberry condiment oregon pastry -- not adjacent turkey. Instead, the repast consisted of an assortment of food, from salted pork and reddish vino shipped from Spain to yucca from the Caribbean, Deagan said.

“The vacation we observe contiguous is truly thing that was invented successful a sense,” she said. “By the clip the Pilgrims landed astatine Plymouth, the radical who settled America’s archetypal colony with Menéndez astir apt had children and grandchildren surviving there.”

UF retired past prof Michael Gannon wrote successful his influential publication connected the taxable that the lawsuit “was the archetypal assemblage enactment of religion and thanksgiving successful the archetypal imperishable colony successful the land.”

This little-known section of past challenges the accepted Thanksgiving story, which reflects an Anglicized mentation of past and supports America’s assemblage origins being viewed arsenic solely, oregon astatine slightest primarily, British, said Gifford Waters, humanities archeology postulation manager astatine the Florida Museum.

“The information is, the archetypal colony was a melting cookware and the taste interactions of the galore groups of radical successful the colony were overmuch much similar the U.S. is contiguous than the British colonies ever were,” Waters said. “I deliberation the existent communicative of the archetypal Thanksgiving is particularly important since determination is simply a increasing Hispanic colonisation successful the U.S. and the relation of the Spanish colony successful La Florida is often neglected successful the classroom.”

Historical eyewitness accounts picture the archetypal Thanksgiving arsenic a country marked by diversity, with colonists and section Timucuan radical successful attendance. More than 400 artifacts near down by the assorted taste groups that made up the archetypal colony are presently connected show successful the Florida Museum’s exhibit, “First Colony: Our Spanish Origins.”

Waters said the repast astir apt took spot adjacent the rima of present-day Hospital Creek connected the Matanzas River, wherever contiguous the Mission of Nombre de Dios and the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park – the tract of Menéndez’ archetypal encampment and the archetypal colony – are located. The feast followed a Thanksgiving Mass, which Deagan said was a communal signifier of sailors aft a tumultuous expedition.

The 68 days that it took Menéndez and his followers to get to Florida’s enactment had not been easy. After leaving Spain with 8 ships, the radical arrived successful Florida with lone four. Half of the archetypal expedition was mislaid to hurricanes and different hardships.

Of those who made it to Florida, whether successful hunt of riches and improved societal lasting oregon caller opportunities similar owning land, each were astir apt thankful to beryllium live and connected adust land, Deagan said.

“A Mass and feast of Thanksgiving was the archetypal happening Menendez did, and helium invited each of the section autochthonal radical who were truthful funny astir them,” she said.

Besides salted pork and reddish wine, those successful attendance ate garbanzo beans, olives and hard oversea biscuits. The repast whitethorn person besides included Caribbean foods that were astir apt collected erstwhile Menéndez stopped to regroup and resupply astatine San Juan Puerto Rico earlier continuing to Florida, Deagan said. If the Timucua contributed, it would apt person been with corn, caller fish, berries oregon beans, she said.

Archeologists person not recovered immoderate artifacts oregon different archeological information intelligibly associated with the archetypal Thanksgiving, though they person recovered remains of the types of nutrient that would person been eaten, Waters said.

“It is precise uncommon to beryllium capable to pin down archeological remains with a circumstantial event, particularly thing arsenic ephemeral arsenic a azygous meal,” helium said.

Waters said helium hopes spreading connection astir the archetypal Thanksgiving volition spark involvement successful having a much implicit knowing of American history.

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