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The First Thanksgiving: What the Real Story Tells Us About Loving God and Learning from History
Foreword Book of the Year Award Finalist The Pilgrims' celebration of the first Thanksgiving is a keystone of America's national and spiritual identity. But is what we've been taught about them or their harvest feast what actually happened? And if not, what difference does it make? Through the captivating story of the birth of this quintessentially American holiday, veteran historian Tracy McKenzie helps us to better understand the tale of America's origins―and for Christians, to grasp the significance of this story and those like it. McKenzie avoids both idolizing and demonizing the Pilgrims, and calls us to love and learn from our flawed yet fascinating forebears. The First Thanksgiving is narrative history at its best, and promises to be an indispensable guide to the interplay of historical thinking and Christian reflection on the meaning of the past for the present.
219 pages, Paperback
First published May 20, 2013
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381 people want to read
About the author
Robert Tracy McKenzie
11 books19 followersRobert Tracy McKenzie (PhD, Vanderbilt University) is Arthur F. Holmes Chair of Faith and Learning and professor and chair of the department of history at Wheaton College. He is the author of books including One South or Many?, Lincolnites and Rebels, and The First Thanksgiving: What the Real Story Tells Us About Loving God and Learning from History.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
December 2, 2021
Probably four stars, but going with five for the number of times my family has heard, "Oh! Did you know...." and "Hey, I just read in that Thanksgiving book..." and "I never thought about it before, but I just read..." and suchlike.
Presented in a casual, conversational style, and clearly targeted at an American Christian audience. Not so much a text about the Pilgrims, but exploring ways American Christians can learn from them. "If theology teaches us the nature of God, history--viewed through the eyes of faith--reminds us of our need for God."
A bit preachy at the end, but I didn't really mind. This isn't "preaching to the choir" or patting Christians on the back, but rather he carefully points out common idolatrous and erroneous views of our forefathers and of the study/use of history in general, and calls attention to the danger of confusion of patriotism and piety. He humbly presents his arguments, and finishes by pointing his readers to scripture, identity in Christ, and hope of the life to come.
Presented in a casual, conversational style, and clearly targeted at an American Christian audience. Not so much a text about the Pilgrims, but exploring ways American Christians can learn from them. "If theology teaches us the nature of God, history--viewed through the eyes of faith--reminds us of our need for God."
A bit preachy at the end, but I didn't really mind. This isn't "preaching to the choir" or patting Christians on the back, but rather he carefully points out common idolatrous and erroneous views of our forefathers and of the study/use of history in general, and calls attention to the danger of confusion of patriotism and piety. He humbly presents his arguments, and finishes by pointing his readers to scripture, identity in Christ, and hope of the life to come.
November 26, 2017
This is actually a book about historiography more than a book about history, but given its firm and insightful Christian perspective—along with its engaging prose and academically qualified author (he taught for years at the University of Washington and now at Wheaton College), I was not disappointed. I was deeply edified and instructed. It was very healthy to be taken on a tour through someone else’s worldview, and to be told of ways in which I and my culture had fit them and their history to my predilections.
My only concern, and it was not enough of a concern to keep me from giving the book an enthusiastic five stars, is that his approach would get a little tiring if applied to other eras of history. That is, once you’ve got the Christian historiographical lessons down, you don’t need to read them all again, just applied to Genghis Kahn or Charlemagne. And though I valued the moral lessons McKenzie draws for himself and his readers from those places where the Pilgrims differ from us, I wondered if they, too, would get a little tiring when used for other periods of history: how many such books might end with a comment that “These people were poor and that should remind us of the dangers of our own riches”?
Still, this book is the best introduction to Christian historiography I know of. By focusing on one and only one concrete era, it’s more manageable and memorable than, say, Carl Trueman’s book on Histories and Fallacies.
My only concern, and it was not enough of a concern to keep me from giving the book an enthusiastic five stars, is that his approach would get a little tiring if applied to other eras of history. That is, once you’ve got the Christian historiographical lessons down, you don’t need to read them all again, just applied to Genghis Kahn or Charlemagne. And though I valued the moral lessons McKenzie draws for himself and his readers from those places where the Pilgrims differ from us, I wondered if they, too, would get a little tiring when used for other periods of history: how many such books might end with a comment that “These people were poor and that should remind us of the dangers of our own riches”?
Still, this book is the best introduction to Christian historiography I know of. By focusing on one and only one concrete era, it’s more manageable and memorable than, say, Carl Trueman’s book on Histories and Fallacies.
April 9, 2014
Though the book is about the First Thanksgiving, its primary value lies in its insightful teaching on historiography. This book will become required reading in my Church History class, not, primarily, because of its content on the Pilgrims (though that is interesting and helpful), but because it teaches Christians how to think about Church history.
February 26, 2024
This book was a required reading for my history class. I normally really don't enjoy historical books but this book I actually enjoyed. The main theme of the book was that most of American history or history in general needs to be retold/relearned because of all the biases that come with history. The author chose to focus on the story of the pilgrims and the first thanksgiving. I definitely was not the target audience for this book (he refered to the pilgrims as « our ancestors » they are definitely not mine) and to be honest, I found the story itself to be kind of boring like i don't really care about the pilgrims, but i appreciated how the author did not try to distort the story. There was a lot of things wrong with the Pilgrims and the author tells there story as a way to learn from the people of the past, and not using it to support certain agendas. Overall, i would say I was pleasantly surprised by this book :)
November 22, 2025
Such an insightful read. I would have loved to read this back when I was a homeschooled high schooler as it discusses not only what we ACTUALLY know to be true of the first thanksgiving vs the widely accepted myths, but the author also deep dives into how one should view and interpret history, especially as Christian’s.
December 6, 2023
A couple of years ago, I found out that the first Moores’ arrived at America on none other than a little vessel called… the Mayflower. So my interest in such matters are high. But looking at the old passenger list, I simply could not find them! Who were they, how many were there, and what were their names?
For most of us, the Pilgrims seem a bit one dimensional. With their belt-buckled hats and their funereal attire. Their feasting at a table in the middle of a field and their mass murdering of Native Americans after said feast! Except… none of this actually happened… like ever…
Robert Tracy McKenzie rebuffs these myths of old and new as nothing more than traditions and the culture war against our glorious American history! To the Pilgrims, belt-buckled hats would have been shunned by their lot as fancy needless adornments. The Pilgrims were textile dyers in the Netherlands and several estate listings jotted an allotment of reds, blues, and greens in their apparel. To the discouragement of thousands of painters, Thanksgiving was actually more or less a picnic, eating their meal on the ground and not at a table. But these traditions are deeply embedded in our celebration of the holiday and much of it comes from a hilarious 1889 novel “Standish of Standish” by Jane G. Austin.
The last of these myths is a bit harder to understand with the recent outpouring of hatred against our history and country. But none the less is the product of culture wars to force us to hate our country, hate our history, tear down our monuments, and to do like some New England Native Americans in making Thanksgiving a ‘day of mourning’.
The "Pilgrims" were a minor English religious sect, called “Separatists”, meaning they did not think they could reform the Church of England from within, so they chose to worship elsewhere. These Separatists, with no tradition or history of violence, did their best to stay at peace with all their neighbors, on every side. Myles Standish, a professional soldier who was not of the sect, led their New England militia and trained them to defend their settlement. William Bradford, elected governor of Plymouth Colony in 1621, led them for thirty years. The Wampanoag people under Chief Massasoit were their nearest neighbors. Together, Massasoit and Bradford made a peace treaty that lasted for fifty years. When the Plymouth colony had a successful second year's harvest, they did indeed hold a traditional English feast of thanksgiving with the Wampanoag as guests. Massasoit and his Braves even brought four deer to contribute to the feast.
Assassinations, and Native tribes trading in their lands for English firearms, led to what is known as King Philip’s War. So Thanksgiving isn’t a “day of mourning”, it’s not a football game that replaces our prayers, worship, and thanksgiving towards God; nor is it a holiday feast in the company of our greatest loved ones. Thanksgiving is a sweeping epic that has rivaled the greatest poems of Homer and has captured our hearts as the “kickoff” of the season of “peace and goodwill toward men!”
As it turned out, the Moores were four children who were banished to America with the Pilgrims. After their mother’s husband found out they were the illegitimate seeds of another man, he exacted his revenge by banishing them forever to live alone in America with the Pilgrims. Three of the four died the first year due to sickness and a harsh winter. The fourth lived on until 1695! His name was Richard More.
A half century ago, the Pilgrims were some of our greatest heroes. Now we have lived long enough as a people to see them become our greatest villains. Yet, in all their villainy, did they do anything wrong? Yes of course, they were fallible human beings. They were neither heroes in their own making, nor were they the villains of a generation. They were simply our ancestors.
McKenzie did not detail this sweeping epic as well as Philbrick did in his history of Plymouth Colony in the book “Mayflower”. Also, McKenzie focused more upon how one should research true history apart from traditions and culture wars, and reflected less on the story of Thanksgiving itself.
For most of us, the Pilgrims seem a bit one dimensional. With their belt-buckled hats and their funereal attire. Their feasting at a table in the middle of a field and their mass murdering of Native Americans after said feast! Except… none of this actually happened… like ever…
Robert Tracy McKenzie rebuffs these myths of old and new as nothing more than traditions and the culture war against our glorious American history! To the Pilgrims, belt-buckled hats would have been shunned by their lot as fancy needless adornments. The Pilgrims were textile dyers in the Netherlands and several estate listings jotted an allotment of reds, blues, and greens in their apparel. To the discouragement of thousands of painters, Thanksgiving was actually more or less a picnic, eating their meal on the ground and not at a table. But these traditions are deeply embedded in our celebration of the holiday and much of it comes from a hilarious 1889 novel “Standish of Standish” by Jane G. Austin.
The last of these myths is a bit harder to understand with the recent outpouring of hatred against our history and country. But none the less is the product of culture wars to force us to hate our country, hate our history, tear down our monuments, and to do like some New England Native Americans in making Thanksgiving a ‘day of mourning’.
The "Pilgrims" were a minor English religious sect, called “Separatists”, meaning they did not think they could reform the Church of England from within, so they chose to worship elsewhere. These Separatists, with no tradition or history of violence, did their best to stay at peace with all their neighbors, on every side. Myles Standish, a professional soldier who was not of the sect, led their New England militia and trained them to defend their settlement. William Bradford, elected governor of Plymouth Colony in 1621, led them for thirty years. The Wampanoag people under Chief Massasoit were their nearest neighbors. Together, Massasoit and Bradford made a peace treaty that lasted for fifty years. When the Plymouth colony had a successful second year's harvest, they did indeed hold a traditional English feast of thanksgiving with the Wampanoag as guests. Massasoit and his Braves even brought four deer to contribute to the feast.
Assassinations, and Native tribes trading in their lands for English firearms, led to what is known as King Philip’s War. So Thanksgiving isn’t a “day of mourning”, it’s not a football game that replaces our prayers, worship, and thanksgiving towards God; nor is it a holiday feast in the company of our greatest loved ones. Thanksgiving is a sweeping epic that has rivaled the greatest poems of Homer and has captured our hearts as the “kickoff” of the season of “peace and goodwill toward men!”
As it turned out, the Moores were four children who were banished to America with the Pilgrims. After their mother’s husband found out they were the illegitimate seeds of another man, he exacted his revenge by banishing them forever to live alone in America with the Pilgrims. Three of the four died the first year due to sickness and a harsh winter. The fourth lived on until 1695! His name was Richard More.
A half century ago, the Pilgrims were some of our greatest heroes. Now we have lived long enough as a people to see them become our greatest villains. Yet, in all their villainy, did they do anything wrong? Yes of course, they were fallible human beings. They were neither heroes in their own making, nor were they the villains of a generation. They were simply our ancestors.
McKenzie did not detail this sweeping epic as well as Philbrick did in his history of Plymouth Colony in the book “Mayflower”. Also, McKenzie focused more upon how one should research true history apart from traditions and culture wars, and reflected less on the story of Thanksgiving itself.
January 5, 2020
In this deeply thoughtful but manageable book, McKenzie approaches the American Thanksgiving tradition from his vantage point as a Christian historian. He spends part of the book setting the record straight about the pilgrims and their iconic harvest feast by laying out the facts from historical documents and separating these from Thanksgiving folklore.
For a large fraction of the book, however, McKenzie digresses from the history of the pilgrims to discuss history as an academic and Christian discipline. He uses the contrast between the facts and the modern perception of the pilgrims to warn against the human tendency to both idolize and denigrate the past. Americans, he warns, have long read their own values into the story of the pilgrims and have used these historical characters as ammunition against political opponents. We have often failed to acknowledge them for who they really were, thereby dehumanizing our historical predecessors. And it's a tendency that can crop up in our perceptions of other historical periods.
This element of the book took me by surprise. I was expecting more of a pilgrim-thanksgiving biography, not a book about how to be a good historian. At times, these portions came across as preachy and seemed to distract from a full examination of the pilgrims themselves. However, I think the biggest problem here was my expectation for the book, not McKenzie's approach. He ultimately accomplishes an important task by forcing readers to think about how they think about history.
In addition to this con that ended up being a pro, I ended up getting a lot of what I wanted: interesting facts about who the pilgrims really were and what the first Thanksgiving would have been like. Throw in the additional tidbits about how the Thanksgiving tradition has evolved over the years, and you've got the perfect book to read on Thanksgiving day while the boys watch football. If you want the full historical narrative, though, I expect Nathaniel Philbrick's Mayflower is the way to go. I plan to read that next time the holiday rolls around.
For a large fraction of the book, however, McKenzie digresses from the history of the pilgrims to discuss history as an academic and Christian discipline. He uses the contrast between the facts and the modern perception of the pilgrims to warn against the human tendency to both idolize and denigrate the past. Americans, he warns, have long read their own values into the story of the pilgrims and have used these historical characters as ammunition against political opponents. We have often failed to acknowledge them for who they really were, thereby dehumanizing our historical predecessors. And it's a tendency that can crop up in our perceptions of other historical periods.
This element of the book took me by surprise. I was expecting more of a pilgrim-thanksgiving biography, not a book about how to be a good historian. At times, these portions came across as preachy and seemed to distract from a full examination of the pilgrims themselves. However, I think the biggest problem here was my expectation for the book, not McKenzie's approach. He ultimately accomplishes an important task by forcing readers to think about how they think about history.
In addition to this con that ended up being a pro, I ended up getting a lot of what I wanted: interesting facts about who the pilgrims really were and what the first Thanksgiving would have been like. Throw in the additional tidbits about how the Thanksgiving tradition has evolved over the years, and you've got the perfect book to read on Thanksgiving day while the boys watch football. If you want the full historical narrative, though, I expect Nathaniel Philbrick's Mayflower is the way to go. I plan to read that next time the holiday rolls around.
December 8, 2019
I started reading this book for an accurate history of the pilgrims. What I found was that this book was rather about historiography and McKenzie used the Pilgrims as a case study. This was a pleasant surprise. Much of what we think we know about the Pilgrims and the Thanksgiving holiday is completely wrong. This isn’t to say that there aren’t things worth celebrating, but McKenzie does a great job of showing how we re-create history in our own image. Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims are perfect case studies for this point. He also gives some great insight on how a Christian should do history. Although repetitive at times and his critique of providential history was overstated, this is well worth the read.
September 24, 2020
This is an interesting book, part history, part historiography, and part reflection on contemporary American evangelicalism. There was much in the history of the 17th century pilgrims that I didn't know, and the basic historical account (including what we know and what we don't know), was illuminating and fascinating. The historiography is equally good - how should we think about the past? What are the virtues and vices that we bring to it? How do we go wrong, and how can we do better? McKenzie is a wise guide here. And here and there, he comments on contemporary religious America and the way we wield the past in our culture wars, calling us to a more truthful engagement with our past. This is quite a helpful book.
February 27, 2018
I wasn’t necessarily excited when I started “The First Thanksgiving” because it was assigned for school. But if you remember my post from a few days ago, this book ended up blowing my mind. Not only did my ideas about the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving radically change (NONE OF IT HAPPENED THE WAY WE WERE TAUGHT IN FIRST GRADE 😱😢), but my thoughts on how we view America’s founding history and how I view America through a Christian-lens were challenged. The last chapter really stretched me, but I think for the better.
If you love history, read this (and probably weep). R.I.P all my long-held ideas on the first Thanksgiving.
If you love history, read this (and probably weep). R.I.P all my long-held ideas on the first Thanksgiving.
July 8, 2024
Pretty informative. I appreciated the attention to basing the report on reliable evidence we actually have and the special effort made to point out what had been adjusted and misremembered over the years as the holiday has evolved. I don’t know if there were more personal details about the different participants, but I would have liked to get a bit more about them and their relationship with the Native Americans. There was some info given about how they interacted but it felt like it could have been fleshed out more. Perhaps we don’t have any resources for that.
December 12, 2023
Although specifically this book is an examination of the first settlers - the author offers invaluable principles when looking at any piece of history. This was the hidden jewel of this book. “Mckenzie writes with utmost honesty and with a critical eye of how the past is written and retold through collective memory and subjectivity, and present-day events that have an effect on how history is presented at a particular time and place.”
December 1, 2021
This is a much needed book and one that all should read. The author McKenzie has done excellent in bringing out who the Pilgrims really were and rightly brings out the true history behind the so-called First Thanksgiving Day. Kudos to the author for a work well done.
November 25, 2025
An excellent short examination not only of the Pilgrims but also of historiography, how national myths emerge and change over time, and sound historical thinking.
May 1, 2025
The true meaning of the Pilgrims’ story
Excellent perspective of America’s founding and the Pilgrims’ journey! Great insights from a Christian perspective and exceptional explanations by the author. The Pilgrims’ story is more than just a Thanksgiving tradition, it’s about their inspiring hope that encourages us to be courageous and grateful no matter the circumstances.
Excellent perspective of America’s founding and the Pilgrims’ journey! Great insights from a Christian perspective and exceptional explanations by the author. The Pilgrims’ story is more than just a Thanksgiving tradition, it’s about their inspiring hope that encourages us to be courageous and grateful no matter the circumstances.
November 30, 2024
What an interesting read. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, but I really enjoyed all the back story and conversational writing of this book. I learned so much about who and what these ordinary people had to face in their decision to uproot their safe life and move to a separate, undeveloped continent. It was short, but definitely not an easy read. I had sections where I had to focus more on the text than my usual reads, but the result was well worth the effort.
September 2, 2014
The primary question that McKenzie is answering in this book is how Christians should practice the discipline of history. He uses the story of the first Thanksgiving as a case study. Readers will therefore learn a about the Reformation, Puritans, Separatists, their culture, and their beliefs. This is a valuable part of the book. But readers will get more. They will also learn how to appreciate Christian forbearers without turning them into idols. They will learn the benefit of challenging one's modern ideas by exposure to historical ones. They will learn that historical honesty is more important that using history for political purposes: Christian or otherwise. Highly recommended.
September 6, 2016
This book sure had a lack of pilgrims for a book about pilgrims. Pair that with the lack of organization, and you've got yourself a book. With that being said, I did learn things about the pilgrims I didn't know before. This is the only thing I liked about this book. *Disclaimer*
If I wasn't forced to read this book for my U.S history class in college, I wouldn't pick this book up at all. Nothing against this genre, but it's not really my thing to read. A 2/5 stars book.
If I wasn't forced to read this book for my U.S history class in college, I wouldn't pick this book up at all. Nothing against this genre, but it's not really my thing to read. A 2/5 stars book.
November 19, 2013
This is far more than a list of little-known facts about the Pilgrims. This is a treatise on how to think morally about history, and how to avoid simplistic judgments about the past. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
November 12, 2021
SUMMARY: Heroes. Brothers and sisters in Christ. Freedom fighters. Most Americans hold the Pilgrims in high regard, but unfortunately, many of these beliefs would be rejected by Pilgrims today- not the least a scheduled day of Thanksgiving.
Why does it matter?
"Authentic education requires a great deal of us. It demands searching self-reflection and evaluation...It invariably 'engages the heart,' and it always changes who we are," author Robert Tracy McKenzie writes. "This is a view of history long out of fashion among academic historians. As Christians, I think it's one we need to recapture."
While the focus in The First Thanksgiving is most certainly on the Pilgrims and their story, McKenzie deftly weaves the reasons why and how Christians can faithfully study history, the common pitfalls of studying history, and why telling a balanced history is crucial.
One poignant and universally-applicable passage was the definition and differentiation between moral judgement and moral reflection.
"Moral judgement renders a verdict but requires nothing of the knowing heart," McKenzie says. "Moral reflection is deeply introspective and never leaves the heart untouched."
One of his most visited warnings for Christians is to approach history humbly - to be slow to judge, to work to get proper historical context, and to avoid "forging idols in history."
"Our tendency to make sense of people from the past with reference to our own experience -- to label them in terms of categories that come from our mental universe, not theirs -- means that the danger for misunderstanding them is ever present," McKenzie says. "It's particularly great, however, when studying groups like the Pilgrims who do share some of our ways of looking at the world."
The First Thanksgiving is a master class about reading history through a Christian lens. Not will you only learn about the Pilgrims, but you will learn how to study history from a Christian perspective.
KEY QUOTE: "Entering into conversation with the Pilgrims may help us examine our own values, but God has given them no moral authority over us, and we must not forget that. Our goal is to learn from our adopted ancestors, not turn them into idols."
MORE: Visit SundaytoSaturday.com where we curate content for the church.
Why does it matter?
"Authentic education requires a great deal of us. It demands searching self-reflection and evaluation...It invariably 'engages the heart,' and it always changes who we are," author Robert Tracy McKenzie writes. "This is a view of history long out of fashion among academic historians. As Christians, I think it's one we need to recapture."
While the focus in The First Thanksgiving is most certainly on the Pilgrims and their story, McKenzie deftly weaves the reasons why and how Christians can faithfully study history, the common pitfalls of studying history, and why telling a balanced history is crucial.
One poignant and universally-applicable passage was the definition and differentiation between moral judgement and moral reflection.
"Moral judgement renders a verdict but requires nothing of the knowing heart," McKenzie says. "Moral reflection is deeply introspective and never leaves the heart untouched."
One of his most visited warnings for Christians is to approach history humbly - to be slow to judge, to work to get proper historical context, and to avoid "forging idols in history."
"Our tendency to make sense of people from the past with reference to our own experience -- to label them in terms of categories that come from our mental universe, not theirs -- means that the danger for misunderstanding them is ever present," McKenzie says. "It's particularly great, however, when studying groups like the Pilgrims who do share some of our ways of looking at the world."
The First Thanksgiving is a master class about reading history through a Christian lens. Not will you only learn about the Pilgrims, but you will learn how to study history from a Christian perspective.
KEY QUOTE: "Entering into conversation with the Pilgrims may help us examine our own values, but God has given them no moral authority over us, and we must not forget that. Our goal is to learn from our adopted ancestors, not turn them into idols."
MORE: Visit SundaytoSaturday.com where we curate content for the church.
November 26, 2025
I listened to this one fully certain that I would learn how much of what we know and were taught about the Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving are misconstrued or not factually based. Therefore, I was not surprised when I realized how correct this thinking pattern was.
I appreciated the easy narration that McKenzie presents as he delves into the fact vs fiction approach from a true historical perspective. It was interesting to discover that most of what we recognize today as the Pilgrim's experience originates from a 115 word excerpt from Edward Winslow's journal "Mourt's Relation" and Victorian novelist Jane G. Austin's romantic interpretation of the central Plymouth characters, imagined love trysts, and the glorified representation of the bounteous first feast lovingly shared between Pilgrims and Native Americans.
To be more historically correct, Pilgrims celebrated God's blessings through fast days much more than feast days. When feast days did occur, church attendance was obligatory and subject to punishment if missed. These first colonists already experienced religious freedom in the Netherlands, but were more concerned of avoiding the unsightly Dutch culture that surrounded them.
It was also interesting to see how the perception of the Pilgrims has changed over the centuries, depending on what the current political and social cultures were. For example, in the antebellum South, the idea of a Thankgiving celebration and feast was considered to be a New England tradition only, and was greatly looked down upon.
I appreciated all that I gleaned from McKenzie's research and presentation. As a strong Christian, he concentrates the introduction and conclusion on quite a few comparisons and contrasts to his current faith tradition which were not as engaging. Overall, I think this will provide me with some interesting discussion points during our family Thanksgiving dinner, still one of my favorite holidays to celebrate.
I appreciated the easy narration that McKenzie presents as he delves into the fact vs fiction approach from a true historical perspective. It was interesting to discover that most of what we recognize today as the Pilgrim's experience originates from a 115 word excerpt from Edward Winslow's journal "Mourt's Relation" and Victorian novelist Jane G. Austin's romantic interpretation of the central Plymouth characters, imagined love trysts, and the glorified representation of the bounteous first feast lovingly shared between Pilgrims and Native Americans.
To be more historically correct, Pilgrims celebrated God's blessings through fast days much more than feast days. When feast days did occur, church attendance was obligatory and subject to punishment if missed. These first colonists already experienced religious freedom in the Netherlands, but were more concerned of avoiding the unsightly Dutch culture that surrounded them.
It was also interesting to see how the perception of the Pilgrims has changed over the centuries, depending on what the current political and social cultures were. For example, in the antebellum South, the idea of a Thankgiving celebration and feast was considered to be a New England tradition only, and was greatly looked down upon.
I appreciated all that I gleaned from McKenzie's research and presentation. As a strong Christian, he concentrates the introduction and conclusion on quite a few comparisons and contrasts to his current faith tradition which were not as engaging. Overall, I think this will provide me with some interesting discussion points during our family Thanksgiving dinner, still one of my favorite holidays to celebrate.
December 18, 2018
"If authentic education always changes who we are, and one of the first fruits of true education is humility, one of the ways that the study of history educates us is by reminding us of our own limitations."
I stumbled across this book while looking for Thanksgiving books to read aloud to my young children. It took inter-library loan (possibly one of the greatest inventions ever) to get the book in my hands, but I finally got hold of it. I absolutely loved it. This book is a treatise on how to faithfully study history as a Christian with the story of the "first Thanksgiving" as the example. Intertwined with a study of what really happened in 1621 is a short introduction to the perspective of the Separatists who came here as well as illustrations of how to get that kind of information from the study of history. The book gives the reader great reasons that history is important and attempts to help us avoid traps in the study of history.
My only concern with the book was that it left me with even fewer picture books about the first Thanksgiving to read to my kids than I started with. After all, if nearly all of them are basically false, how can I possibly read them aloud any more? Zooming out from that concern, I do wish the author could point me to some resource on the teaching of history to young children. If learning history is important, doing it well is fraught and challenging, and bringing things to kid level well is a fairly specialized skill, how in the world am I supposed to find good history texts to read to my children?
"...gazing into the past is like gazing into the night sky. Our natural response should be one of wonder and awe and a humbling awareness of our own limitations. Authentically Christian education always promotes such awareness."
I stumbled across this book while looking for Thanksgiving books to read aloud to my young children. It took inter-library loan (possibly one of the greatest inventions ever) to get the book in my hands, but I finally got hold of it. I absolutely loved it. This book is a treatise on how to faithfully study history as a Christian with the story of the "first Thanksgiving" as the example. Intertwined with a study of what really happened in 1621 is a short introduction to the perspective of the Separatists who came here as well as illustrations of how to get that kind of information from the study of history. The book gives the reader great reasons that history is important and attempts to help us avoid traps in the study of history.
My only concern with the book was that it left me with even fewer picture books about the first Thanksgiving to read to my kids than I started with. After all, if nearly all of them are basically false, how can I possibly read them aloud any more? Zooming out from that concern, I do wish the author could point me to some resource on the teaching of history to young children. If learning history is important, doing it well is fraught and challenging, and bringing things to kid level well is a fairly specialized skill, how in the world am I supposed to find good history texts to read to my children?
"...gazing into the past is like gazing into the night sky. Our natural response should be one of wonder and awe and a humbling awareness of our own limitations. Authentically Christian education always promotes such awareness."
November 8, 2019
This is a really good book with a very specific objective: to help Christians think more carefully about how to do history well (historiography). The "First Thanksgiving" is really more of a prolonged case study throughout the book to illuminate how the interpretation of historical events is so easily used and misused for political and manipulative ends. McKenzie does do a fine job of showing what we can and cannot know with confidence about the Pilgrims, their goals, the interaction with the Native Peoples at the time, and what exactly happened in that first harvest, but this is all in service of his broader objective of exploring both helpful and unhelpful ways of interpreting history. The chapter on "revisionism" was my personal favorite.
Along the way, I genuinely learned more about the lives and setting of the actual Pilgrims, and a few myths do indeed get "busted." But those looking for an aggressive take-down of the Pilgrims/Puritans won't find it here, nor will those looking for a defense of the classic/traditional narrative. McKenzie is much more balanced and nuanced, but this ultimately makes for better historical reading, and a valuable book for Christians who may not have seriously considered the broader questions of historiography before.
Along the way, I genuinely learned more about the lives and setting of the actual Pilgrims, and a few myths do indeed get "busted." But those looking for an aggressive take-down of the Pilgrims/Puritans won't find it here, nor will those looking for a defense of the classic/traditional narrative. McKenzie is much more balanced and nuanced, but this ultimately makes for better historical reading, and a valuable book for Christians who may not have seriously considered the broader questions of historiography before.
May 17, 2021
McKenzie looks at the documents we have about the Pilgrims. He draws from the primary sources of their accounts, laws, and letters, to seek a clearer understanding of the “First Thanksgiving” for which we have only 115 words. In examining our understanding of that feast, he sets a framework for doing history. It’s a challenging read, not in how it’s written, but in how it must be applied, to do history with humility and without casting our cultural understanding onto those who lived long ago. This means learning to go to and read primary sources for what they are, without adding in the ways time has added to them. This is a timely read due to conversations (and arguments) happening about revisionism, especially with regard to the history of our own country and things that have been either swept under the rug, or in this case, greatly added to and conflated with other events (the 1623 day of solemn thanksgiving, which was a religious event).
December 4, 2024
Oftentimes my ratings are correlated to how many times I pause during a reading or go back to re-read a section again, not out of confusion, but out of contemplation and reflection.
This is one of those examples.
He discusses the history and philosophy of historical study itself.
He does a great job of explaining a lot of the context of the Pilgrims in Britain and then Holland and what got them so interested in the move in the first place.
He ties it into his own Christian faith, and for others as well, in a very professional manner that I think even non-Christians could appreciate and learn from.
I learned a lot from this. It was exactly what I was looking for for a Thanksgiving read.
This is one of those examples.
He discusses the history and philosophy of historical study itself.
He does a great job of explaining a lot of the context of the Pilgrims in Britain and then Holland and what got them so interested in the move in the first place.
He ties it into his own Christian faith, and for others as well, in a very professional manner that I think even non-Christians could appreciate and learn from.
I learned a lot from this. It was exactly what I was looking for for a Thanksgiving read.
November 30, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed this read - not what I was expecting at all when I initially bought it on a whim, hoping to better understand our Thanksgiving history this season in order appreciate it more. What I got was course in how Christians should view history, which as a “historically” red-blooded American (though, as the author reminded us at the end, as the Lord has matured me over the last number of years, I feel less a citizen of this country, esp now, and more of a pilgrim) was often humbling. Which was the authors purpose, or at least one of them. Good book for those who long to be “thinking Christians.” I will certainly be reading more for this author!
August 14, 2024
The Wheaton History Professor who shaped my thinking as a historian most, and fundamentally changed the type of history teacher I hoped to be. Indebted to his influence.
At it's core, this book is not really about the Pilgrims. It's about ourselves and the temptations we face when going into the past for ammunition rather than a desire to morally reflect upon ourselves. Metaphors abound for the pitfalls we might fall into, and we are offered a way to faithfully journey into the past without falling into those pits.
At it's core, this book is not really about the Pilgrims. It's about ourselves and the temptations we face when going into the past for ammunition rather than a desire to morally reflect upon ourselves. Metaphors abound for the pitfalls we might fall into, and we are offered a way to faithfully journey into the past without falling into those pits.
November 29, 2019
In addition to its excellent historical narrative of this holiday and those who inspired it, the book provides insightful perspectives on how to approach history, read history and ask the question ‘so what?’. While a scholarly level is evident, the author writes in a clear, readable style that leans towards conversational as opposed to lecture. I gleaned much from this book that added depth to my love of history for that I am thankful.
November 29, 2021
Giving this a 3.0 because I learned a lot and felt that the book was very well researched and well written. Would I recommend this for pleasure reading, no. However, I would have been very glad to have read this book for academic reading/coursework. I thought I would feel overwhelmed by the religious tone of the book, but really it stuck the right cord and gave good religious context without being preachy or self-righteous.
December 5, 2024
This gave me a lot to think about. Looking at history differently, which I thought I did, has many different aspects that I hadn’t considered. Ultimately I think that most of this book testifies to me how the Lord prepared the world for the restoration of His church on this continent. I hope the author has since researched the Church of Jesus Christ’s of Latter-Day Saints because he pointed out so many things that align and “prove” history as the LDS tell it.
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