Thanksgiving History Trivia — 80 Questions

1620. The Mayflower arrived at Cape Cod on November 9, 1620, and the Pilgrims established Plymouth Colony in December.

102 passengers and about 30 crew. The passengers included Separatists, servants, and other settlers seeking new opportunities.

An agreement for self-government signed aboard the Mayflower. Drafted November 11, 1620, it established a 'civil body politic' for the colony.

Only four adult women. Of the 18 adult women who arrived, only four survived the first brutal winter of 1620-1621.

William Butten, a young servant. Butten died at sea on November 16, 1620, before the Mayflower reached land.

Scurvy, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. Malnutrition and exposure weakened the colonists, making them vulnerable to disease.

John Carver. Carver was elected governor in 1620 but died in April 1621. William Bradford succeeded him.

Over 30 years. Bradford governed Plymouth Colony for more than 30 terms between 1621 and 1657.

'Of Plymouth Plantation.' Bradford's chronicle, written between 1630 and 1651, is the primary historical source for early Plymouth history.

Myles Standish. Standish was hired as the colony's military captain and played a key role in its defense.

Tisquantum, called Squanto by the English. Squanto had been kidnapped to Europe, learned English, and returned to serve as interpreter.

He was kidnapped to England and lived there for several years. An English captain captured Squanto around 1614; he returned to America in 1619.

The Wampanoag Confederacy. Massasoit was the sachem (leader) of the Wampanoag, whose territory included Plymouth.

An epidemic that devastated Wampanoag populations before the Pilgrims arrived. Between 1616-1619, disease killed up to 90% of coastal New England Natives.

For military protection against the Narragansett. The weakened Wampanoag needed allies against rival tribes; the Pilgrims needed survival knowledge.

Corn, beans, and squash (the Three Sisters). This companion planting technique greatly improved Pilgrim food security.

Wildfowl, venison, corn, squash, and possibly fish. Primary sources mention deer and wildfowl; other foods are educated guesses.

Three days. The event included meals, games, military exercises, and socializing over three full days.

Probably not — they likely showed up after hearing gunfire. Winslow's account suggests the Wampanoag arrived after hearing celebratory musket fire.

No. The Pilgrims would have called it a harvest festival. 'Thanksgiving' in their vocabulary meant a day of prayer and fasting, not feasting.

1630. The Puritans, a different group from the Pilgrims, founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony with John Winthrop as governor.

Pilgrims were Separatists who left the Church of England; Puritans wanted to reform it. The Pilgrims at Plymouth were religiously separate from the Puritans at Boston.

1789. Washington proclaimed November 26, 1789, as a day of public thanksgiving, the first under the Constitution.

Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson believed a federal religious observance violated the separation of church and state.

Most Northern states. Thanksgiving was primarily a New England and Northern tradition; Southern states largely ignored it.

She campaigned for 17 years to make Thanksgiving national. Hale wrote to five presidents and published editorials promoting the holiday.

'Godey's Lady's Book.' As editor, Hale used the popular magazine to promote Thanksgiving and other American traditions.

October 3, 1863. Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving during the Civil War.

Gettysburg. Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving shortly after the Union victory at Gettysburg, framing gratitude amid national tragedy.

Through Reconstruction and national unification efforts. After the Civil War, Northern editors and Southern reformers promoted the holiday nationwide.

1989 under George H.W. Bush. Though earlier presidents received turkeys, Bush made the pardon an annual tradition.

December 26, 1941. Congress passed a joint resolution establishing the fourth Thursday as Thanksgiving Day nationwide.

To extend the Christmas shopping season. With the Great Depression lingering, FDR hoped an earlier Thanksgiving would boost retail sales.

Mostly negative and mocking. The term 'Franksgiving' was coined by critics; only 32 states followed FDR's date in 1939.

Many, including Yale-Harvard and Auburn-Alabama. Thanksgiving football began with college games in the late 1800s.

Not definitively known, but early pro games occurred in the 1890s. The NFL's Detroit tradition began in 1934.

The 300th anniversary celebration of Plymouth in 1920-1921. It included parades, pageants, and the laying of the Plymouth Rock portico.

1741. Thomas Faunce, a 94-year-old, claimed his father identified the rock as the Pilgrims' landing place — 121 years after the event.

No primary source mentions it. No Pilgrim account describes landing on a specific rock; the tradition emerged generations later.

It merged with Massachusetts Bay Colony. Plymouth remained separate for 71 years before being absorbed into the larger province.

'People of the First Light' or 'Eastern People.' The Wampanoag are an Algonquian people whose traditional homeland is southeastern New England.

Approximately 90 men. Edward Winslow's account mentions Massasoit and 90 men, though women and children may have been present too.

Venison, corn, and possibly fish. The Wampanoag brought five deer and shared their harvest with the English settlers.

Estimated 12,000-15,000. Before European contact, the Wampanoag Confederacy included dozens of villages.

Up to 90% died in the 1616-1619 epidemic. The 'Great Dying' devastated Wampanoag communities, clearing land the Pilgrims later settled.

An annual protest in Plymouth on Thanksgiving since 1970. Organized by UAINE, it commemorates Native suffering and resistance.

Frank James (Wampanoag), also known as Wamsutta. James was invited to speak at a 1970 Plymouth celebration but was censored.

Protesters gathered at Coles Hill overlooking Plymouth Rock. Wamsutta's suppressed speech was read, launching an annual tradition.

With mixed feelings — as a day of mourning, family gathering, or both. Perspectives vary widely among Indigenous peoples and nations.

An effort to revive the Wôpanâak language. After centuries of dormancy, the Wampanoag Nation is teaching children their ancestral language.

There was no formal treaty. The devastating 1675-1678 war effectively ended Wampanoag independence and Plymouth's separate existence.

Massasoit's son and Wampanoag sachem during King Philip's War. Metacom led a pan-Indian resistance against English expansion.

No reliable survey exists. Many Native people gather with family on the day while also observing the National Day of Mourning.

Corn, beans, squash, cranberries, potatoes, and turkey. Many 'traditional' Thanksgiving foods are Indigenous to the Americas.

Thanksgiving and gratitude are central to many Indigenous worldviews. Many Native nations have ceremonies of thanksgiving throughout the year.

Mid-1800s. While turkeys were common colonial food, they became specifically associated with Thanksgiving through 19th-century writings.

It popularized turkey, pumpkin pie, and family gatherings. Hale's magazine promoted a standardized Thanksgiving menu and domestic ideal.

1954. The U.S. Postal Service issued a 3-cent stamp featuring a turkey and cornucopia.

Railroads promoted holiday travel in the late 1800s. Train companies advertised 'Turkey Specials' to bring people home for the holiday.

Early 1900s. Marcus Urann's canned cranberry sauce (1912) and Ocean Spray's formation (1930) made it a staple.

Philadelphia's 6abc parade, started in 1920. Four years older than Macy's, it was originally sponsored by Gimbels department store.

1924. Macy's employees, many of whom were immigrants, marched to their new store at 34th Street.

1968. The Peanuts character is the most frequent flyer in parade history, appearing in various forms for decades.

Felix the Cat in 1927. Early balloons were filled with air and supported by sticks; helium replaced air in 1928.

1934 with the Detroit Lions. Owner George A. Richards started the tradition to compete with baseball and attract radio audiences.

It has become more commercial and travel-oriented. Black Friday, TV dinners, and air travel transformed the holiday from a local family event.

College football games in the late 1930s. Television networks began broadcasting football and parades in the 1940s-1950s.

The 1980s-1990s. The term 'Black Friday' originated in Philadelphia in the 1960s but became nationally prominent much later.

A friends-based Thanksgiving celebration popularized in the 2010s. Social media and urban young adults popularized the pre-Thanksgiving gathering.

It accelerated virtual gatherings and smaller dinners. 2020 saw a spike in Zoom celebrations, though traditional patterns largely resumed.

1619 at Berkeley Hundred. English settlers held a thanksgiving service two years before Plymouth, though it was religious, not a feast.

A December 22 observance marking the Pilgrims' landing. Older than Thanksgiving in Plymouth, it commemorates the 1620 arrival.

It's in October and has separate origins. Canadian Thanksgiving traces to 1578 and became fixed in 1957 on the second Monday of October.

Brought by freed American slaves in the 1820s. Liberia celebrates on the first Thursday of November with similar foods.

Yes, as a U.S. territory. Puerto Ricans observe the holiday with turkey alongside pasteles, arroz con gandules, and flan.

A blend of American and Polynesian traditions. Kalua turkey, poke, and haupia join traditional dishes at many Hawaiian tables.

With complexity, given American colonization of Hawaii. Some Hawaiian families observe it; others focus on Native Hawaiian sovereignty.

Leiden commemorates the Pilgrims' time there. The city holds an annual service at Pieterskerk, where Pilgrim John Robinson is buried.

The Dallas Cowboys started in 1966. Texas high schools also have deep Thanksgiving football traditions dating to the early 1900s.

Through expatriate communities and cultural exports. American-style Thanksgiving dinners occur in many countries, especially among U.S. expats.

A 1622 pamphlet describing the first year at Plymouth. Written mainly by Edward Winslow and William Bradford, it contains the only eyewitness account of the 1621 feast.

Congress standardized it in 1941 to prevent calendar confusion. The fourth Thursday ensures Thanksgiving always falls between November 22 and 28.