Where does Thanksgiving come from? What's the story behind it?

The origin of Thanksgiving

The origin of Thanksgiving can be traced back to the beginning of American history. In the early 17th century, the British Puritans were persecuted. A group of British Puritans could not bear the religious persecution. In September 1620, they boarded the "Mayflower" sailing ship and sailed to the "New World" - America, which had just been discovered by Columbus. , arrived at the port of Plymouth in the United States on December 26. In the winter between 1620 and 1621, due to the lack of fresh fruits and vegetables, the prevalence of scurvy, and the cold and hunger, only 50 of the 102 Puritans survived. Of course, the reason why this voyage is famous in history is the signing of the Mayflower Compact. This convention is the first political contract document in American history and is called the American Birth Certificate.

It was cold winter, they came to a strange place, they were short of food and clothing, and the harsh environment was threatening their lives. At this critical moment, the local Wampanoag Indians generously took out the corn and potatoes stored for the winter, and gave away the wild ducks and turkeys they had hunted. The Indians also taught them to grow corn and pumpkins and raise turkeys. With the help of the Indians, these new immigrants began to adapt to life on this land. With the help of the Indians, the immigrants finally got a good harvest. According to religious traditions and customs, immigrants designated the harvest day as Thanksgiving and invited the aborigines to celebrate the festival together to thank them for their gifts. This is the origin of the original Thanksgiving.

Initially, there was no fixed date for Thanksgiving, which was decided temporarily by each state in the United States. In 1789, President Washington officially designated November 26 as a nationally celebrated Thanksgiving Day. However, for a long time, each state has stipulated the festival date according to its own situation. It was not until 1863, after American independence, that President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday. In 1941, in order to extend the Christmas shopping season and stimulate the economy, President Roosevelt signed a congressional resolution declaring the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.

The above is the original origin of Thanksgiving. Its original intention is actually good. In order to express gratitude to the American Indians for their help to the colonists, this celebratory holiday was born. . From a starting point, these days are indeed meaningful, and Indians can readily accept this celebration.

From my personal point of view, Thanksgiving at this time is actually a very simple holiday. As an outsider, I actually received help from the locals, so this is a festival that was created to commemorate this event. There is nothing wrong with festivals. The Chinese believe in repaying a drop of water with a spring. To the Indians, it was a life-saving kindness. There is nothing wrong with holding a festival to commemorate it.

But this festival finally turned sour! ! ! ! To put it this way, look below.

The Indians’ nightmare?

In the first hundred years, the relationship between European immigrants and Indians was generally peaceful. The Europeans did not have enough numbers and strength to plunder the Indians. , and the Indians never took the initiative to attack this group of outsiders. However, as the number of immigrants increases, the strength of the two sides becomes increasingly disparate, and peace no longer exists.

When there are too many colonists, there will inevitably be wars, and the war between the Indians and the colonists broke out. In 1830, the U.S. Congress passed the "Indian Removal Act" (Indian Removal Act), and got Andrew · President Jackson’s approval. Congress then allocated funds for federal negotiations with the tribes to move them west. The tribes in the South faced dual pressure from the state and federal governments. Most of the tribes were unable to resist, so they had to cede their land, receive some symbolic compensation, and then set off for the West. This is the famous "Western Expansion Movement" in American history.

As the westward expansion progressed, a large number of Indians were massacred, and the survivors were forcibly driven to more desolate "reservations." The forced migration path of Indians is also known as the "Trail of Tears" of Indians. Indians, as one of the major human races, have been basically exterminated as a whole. It is estimated that when Columbus arrived in the New World, there were more than 10 million Indians. By 1900, the population of the United States was about 76 million, but there were only about 200,000 Indians left.

The European immigrants who participated in the massacre thanked God for helping them so that they could win quickly. So in that year, 1637, John Winthrop, the then governor of Massachusetts, said: This day should be a day of celebration to thank God for allowing them to conquer the Pequot people. This is what the Americans later became. of "Thanksgiving".

After reading this, you will understand why I said that Thanksgiving has changed. ?

Behind the Thanksgiving Day, there was the "Thanksgiving Day" when the kind-hearted people helped to get each other's gratitude, and later the "Celebration Day" when the colonists invaded and killed the kind-hearted Indians. This is the most important part of Thanksgiving Day. Intuitive background story, a realistic version of the story of "The Farmer and the Snake".

The so-called white Americans today are just the original colonists and are not the real owners of this land in North America. They became the owners of this land now because they brutally killed countless native Indians. In exchange, he still shamelessly celebrates "Thanksgiving", which is simply a big joke. He really becomes a bitch and sets up a memorial arch, saying one thing and doing another.

The Indians living in the western United States still live in poverty because Americans have restricted their development and they are unable to develop their own technology. They still live a primitive life of farming and herding. Mechanized farming is simply not realistic. Just look at the map to see how desolate the American West is. Indians without any technological development are really helpless in the face of the current aircraft and artillery in the United States. The saying "If you fall behind, you will be beaten" is vividly expressed.

Many ignorant Chinese people still think Americans are noble. After reading the above history of blood and tears, do you still think they are noble? They are just a group of butchers and robbers, relying on plunder and killing to satisfy their greed. There has still been no change to this day. This is the essence of the United States.