Introduction
Many parts of the country such as Virginia, Florida, and Texas take credit for the “First Thanksgiving,” but there never was an actual first Thanksgiving Day that began the holiday for us today. Besides the famous New Englanders, Spanish and French explorers and settlers had already held thanksgiving celebrations in the New World. While the thanksgiving was usually for a good harvest, sometimes there were other reasons for giving thanks, such as for victories in war. For whatever reason, many thanksgivings were celebrated across the land, whether it was in the deserts of the Southwest or among the forests of the East Coast. The following Web sites demonstrate the variety of celebrations held.

Destination Title:

The American Thanksgiving Tradition

The Wampanoag

Palo Duro Canyon, 1541

Florida, 1564

El Paso, 1598

Virginia, 1610

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Directions Explore the Web sites listed above. The first two sites listed are first-hand accounts of the “first” American Thanksgiving. The following four sites are other people and places that claim to have held the “first” Thanksgiving. Read the information on the Web sites and take down general notes and interesting facts as you read. Consider the similarities and differences between the various celebrations, and then answer the following questions.