Synopses & Reviews
The Thanksgiving Book is devoted to the history and cultural importance of this holiday in American life. With essays, original materials, and even recipes, this volume traces the customs, symbols, and foods of Thanksgiving, from the earliest celebrations of the European colonists to the family feasts of the present day. Drawing on original documents, such as the Pilgrims’ peace treaty with the Massasoit Indians and accounts of the first Thanksgiving, Laurie Collier Hillstrom presents the fascinating origins of this holiday and relates it to similar traditions that predate the treaty. She goes on to examine the evolution of the traditional harvest celebration into a designated “Day of Thanksgiving,” the roots and standardization of the traditional Thanksgiving meal, and the development of such modern American traditions as football games and holiday parades.
Synopsis
With essays, original materials, and even recipes, this volume devoted to the history and cultural importance of Thanksgiving in the United States traces the customs, symbols, and foods of the holiday, from the earliest celebrations of European colonists to present-day events. Historical essays cover traditions derived from the native cultures of early Americans and the first American Thanksgiving observances. The book examines the evolution of the traditional harvest celebration into the designated Day of Thanksgiving by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 and details the standardization of the traditional meal and the development of modern holiday traditions, including football games and parades.
About the Author
Laurie Collier Hillstrom is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of more than 20 books in the fields of history and biography, including People in the News: Al Gore and Television in American Society.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Essays
Thanksgiving: History and Observance
Thanksgiving: Holiday Food from the 17th to the 21st Centuries
Primary Sources
The Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving
The Revolutionary Period
America Embraces the Pilgrims
New England Thanksgivings
Thanksgiving Spreads beyond New England
The Civil War and Creation of the National Holiday
Thanksgiving in the Early 20th Century
Thanksgiving in Wartime
Native American Perspectives on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving in Modern Times
Bibliography
Photo and Illustration Credits
Index