Little Known Facts About Thanksgiving

Tweet

1. The Mayflower was not the only ship chartered for the journey to America. There was also a ship called the Speedwell. It attempted the voyage 3 times, but would began taking on water and have to return to the departing venue. It was later found out that some of the crew was sabataging the ship, so they could later buy it for a cheap price and use it as a charter ship themselves. 2. John Howland was washed overboard on the journey to America but was able to grab a rope and be pulled to safety. He and his wife went on to have 10 kids. One of his descendants is former President George Bush. 3. A baby boy was born to the Hopkins family on the journey and named Oceanus. 4. The Wampanoag Indians were not completely trustful of the Pilgrims at first. They had a warrior named Hobamock who kept an eye on them until they felt they could trust them. Then he continued to keep a watch as protection over the them. 5. The Mayflower first landed at Cape Cod, not Plymouth. The weather was one of the factors that drove them onto Plymouth instead of their original destination. 6. This was not the first trip to America for all the Pilgrims. For instance, Stephen Hopkins had been earlier and tried to settle in Jamestown, but was shipwrecked and returned to England. William Shakespear (a friend of Hopkins) wrote a play based on Hopkins' journey. It was entitled THE TEMPEST. 7. The Pilgrims, unlike the Puritans, did not try to convert non-believers. 8. Thanksgiving is not an American holiday only. Canadians also celebrate Thanksgiving. 9. The tryptophan in turkeys is not what makes one sleepy. It is over eating. 10. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the busiest day of the year for roto rooter. 11. The Pilgrims wore colorful clothes. Black and White was only for dress wear later on. Buckles did not exist on pilgrim clothing. 12. Approximately 50 million people watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 13. The song "Jingle Bells" was originally a Thanksgiving song. 14. Thanksgiving is an amalgam of different traditions, including ancient harvest festivals, the religious New England Puritan Thanksgiving, the traditional harvest celebrations of England and New England, and changing political and ideological assumptions of Native Americans. 15. Cranberries were originally used by native Americans to treat wounds and dye clothes.