The First Thanksgiving From A Soul(e) Who Was There
I have been working on my family tree for years now and it was a long and tedious process until I became able to speak with those passed over. It's exciting to speak to someone long gone then see them in your tree, or have someone come forward that you have been looking for to fill in some blanks and they are able to give you information that you would never find the conventional way.
I did speak with George Soule on the anniversary of the signing of the Mayflower Compact, which was the document the Pilgrims drafted on November 11, 1620. Its purpose was to maintain order and establish a civil society.
These are the signers of the Compact. You will notice two things:
All of the signers are male. Women had no rights at this time.
One of the signers is EDWARD LEISTER. I never noticed his name before on this document! Leister is my ex-husband's name so I will have to do some research to see if he is related. Wow.
John Carver
Edward Tilly
Digery Priest
William Bradford
John Tilly
Thomas Williams
Edward Winslow
Francis Cooke
Gilbert Winslow
William Brewster
Thomas Rogers
Edmund Margeson
Isaac Allerton
Thomas Tinker
Peter Brown
Miles Standish
John Rigdale
Richard Bitteridge
John Alden
Edward Fuller
George Soule
Samuel Fuller
John Turner
Richard Clark
Christopher Martin
Francis Eaton
Richard Gardiner
William Mullins
James Chilton
John Allerton
William White
John Craxton
Thomas English
Richard Warren
John Billington
Edward Doten
John Howland
Moses Fletcher
Edward Leister
Stephen Hopkins
John Goodman
What follows is the conversation I had with George about the first Thanksgiving. Amazing that we can hear about this momentous occasion in time from a soul that was there.
Rene’ "Hi George, do you have time to talk?"
George "What is time?"
Rene’ "That’s funny, I keep forgetting you don’t have time there. Ok George, it is almost Thanksgiving here. I would like to offer a story about the first Thanksgiving and you are the only Pilgrim I know. Can you help with this?"
George "I would be honored to assist you in the venture. What do you want to know?"
Rene' "So much, I am fascinated with your adventures. I guess it’s also the fact that we are related that makes it all the more important. I want our descendants to know who they are related to. I am proud to be related to you George. I am honored that you choose to speak with me. I want to know what you can tell me. I want to know what you and the others went through that first Thanksgiving."
George "We didn’t realize that what we were doing would spark such an honorable place in history. We were just trying to get along with the Indians and we thought if we tried to befriend them, it would be better than each of us trying to kill the other. There had already been too much bloodshed. There was plenty of room for us all. We can live in harmony. We just have to take the first step. We met with them and they agreed to sit down and have peace talks. Then we had a party and invited them to break bread with us. That is how it happened."
Rene’ "What was your role in this?"
George "None really, I was the servant of Edward Winslow, he paid for my passage and in return, I was contracted to work for 7 years and pay a portion of what I received for coming here. I remember much ado at the camp. The women were cooking and the men were hunting game for a feast to celebrate peace with the Indians."
Rene’ "Did the Indians bring any food"
George "Yes, they brought corn and squash and rabbit."
Rene’ "Tell me what it was like sitting at the table sharing a meal with people who had been trying to kill you."
George "It was scary at first but then they seemed ok and we relaxed and several of the townspeople made jokes or told funny stories about how they had no idea what they were doing in this place. They had no experience living off the land and the Indians offered to teach us and we agreed to mind our boundaries. They had set up boundaries that were supposed to be respected, no hunting or trespassing.
Rene’ What else did you do at dinner?"
George "After dinner there was entertainment, we played the harmonica and sang and danced. The Indians played the drums and did the same. I think we all realized from this dinner that we were the same. Different but the same. They were not savages just out to kill, they were defending what they felt was theirs and we were taking it away. When we talked to them and explained that we would buy the land from them, they felt better and we were able to live in peace."
Rene’ "Can you tell me any words that were spoken by the Indians or your group as a prayer or blessing?"
George "The Alderman spoke before the meal and he wished upon the souls that landed in this New World that we found a way to live in harmony with the Indians, whose lands we encroached on. He hoped there would be a compromise. The Indians representative spoke for them and said that the white man had done a terrible thing, encroaching on the Indian land and killing their animals. They understood that the white man didn’t expect to have these privileges for nothing and they offered a barter to the Indians. The Indians accepted their offer and wanted to live peacefully as they were before the white man came. There was merriment and drinking of alcoholic beverages. Some got drunk and there was a camaraderie among those Indians and settlers alike that were typical of consuming alcohol."
Rene’ "Can you tell me what you ate?"
George "What a meal. Rabbit, deer, wild pig, chicken, turkey, squirrel, potatoes, corn, beans, biscuits. We also traded home brews with them, theirs was much better than ours.
Rene’ What was your job?"
George "I was indentured for only 3 years of 7. I received some land and became a farmer, as were most."
Rene’ "Thank you so much for speaking with me, I will make a proper article about your event."
George "Bless you."
(1) The Plimouth Patuxent