Showing posts with label 04 Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 04 Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Thanksgiving | Journey to American Democracy
Thanksgiving is the quintessential American holiday…but not for the reasons we generally remember.
The Pilgrims and the Wampanoags did indeed share a harvest celebration together at Plymouth in fall 1621, but that moment got forgotten almost immediately, overwritten by the long history of the settlers’ attacks on their Indigenous neighbors.
In 1841 a book that reprinted the early diaries and letters from the Plymouth colony recovered the story of that three-day celebration in which ninety Indigenous Americans and the English settlers shared fowl and deer. This story of peace and goodwill among men who by the 1840s were more often enemies than not inspired Sarah Josepha Hale, who edited the popular women’s magazine Godey’s Lady's Book, to think that a national celebration could ease similar tensions building between the slave-holding South and the free North. She lobbied for legislation to establish a day of national thanksgiving.
And then, on April 12, 1861, southern soldiers fired on Fort Sumter, a federal fort in Charleston Harbor, and the meaning of a holiday for giving thanks changed.
Southern leaders wanted to destroy the United States of America and create their own country, based not in the traditional American idea that “all men are created equal,” but rather in its opposite: that some men were better than others and had the right to enslave their neighbors. In the 1850s, convinced that society worked best if a few wealthy men ran it, southern leaders had bent the laws of the United States to their benefit, using it to protect enslavement above all.
In 1860, northerners elected Abraham Lincoln to the presidency to stop rich southern enslavers from taking over the government and using it to cement their own wealth and power. As soon as he was elected, southern leaders pulled their states out of the Union to set up their own country. After the firing on Fort Sumter, Lincoln and the fledgling Republican Party set out to end the slaveholders’ rebellion.
The early years of the war did not go well for the U.S. By the end of 1862, the armies still held, but people on the home front were losing faith. Leaders recognized the need both to acknowledge the suffering and to keep Americans loyal to the cause. In November and December, seventeen state governors declared state thanksgiving holidays.
New York governor Edwin Morgan’s widely reprinted proclamation about the holiday reflected that the previous year “is numbered among the dark periods of history, and its sorrowful records are graven on many hearthstones.” But this was nonetheless a time for giving thanks, he wrote, because “the precious blood shed in the cause of our country will hallow and strengthen our love and our reverence for it and its institutions…. Our Government and institutions placed in jeopardy have brought us to a more just appreciation of their value.”
The next year, Lincoln got ahead of the state proclamations. On July 15 he declared a national day of Thanksgiving, and the relief in his proclamation was almost palpable. After two years of disasters, the Union army was finally winning. Bloody, yes; battered, yes; but winning. At Gettysburg in early July, Union troops had sent Confederates reeling back southward. Then, on July 4, Vicksburg had finally fallen to U. S. Grant’s army. The military tide was turning.
President Lincoln set Thursday, August 6, 1863, for the national day of Thanksgiving. On that day, ministers across the country listed the signal victories of the U.S. Army and Navy in the past year and reassured their congregations that it was only a matter of time until the United States government put down the southern rebellion. Their predictions acknowledged the dead and reinforced the idea that their sacrifice had not been in vain.
In October 1863, President Lincoln declared a second national day of Thanksgiving. In the past year, he declared, the nation had been blessed.
In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, he wrote, Americans had maintained their laws and their institutions and had kept foreign countries from meddling with their nation. They had paid for the war as they went, refusing to permit the destruction to wreck the economy. Instead, as they funded the war, they had also advanced farming, industry, mining, and shipping. Immigrants had poured into the country to replace men lost on the battlefield, and the economy was booming. And Lincoln had recently promised that the government would end slavery once and for all. The country, he predicted, “with a large increase of freedom,” would survive, stronger and more prosperous than ever. The president invited Americans “in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea, and those who are sojourning in foreign lands” to observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving.
In 1863, November’s last Thursday fell on the 26th. On November 19, Lincoln delivered an address at the dedication of a national cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He reached back to the Declaration of Independence for the principles on which he called for Americans to rebuild the severed nation:
”Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
Lincoln urged the crowd to take up the torch those who fought at Gettysburg had laid down. He called for them to “highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
The following year, Lincoln proclaimed another day of Thanksgiving, this time congratulating Americans that God had favored them not only with immigration but also with the emancipation of formerly enslaved people. “Moreover,” Lincoln wrote, “He has been pleased to animate and inspire our minds and hearts with fortitude, courage, and resolution sufficient for the great trial of civil war into which we have been brought by our adherence as a nation to the cause of freedom and humanity, and to afford to us reasonable hopes of an ultimate and happy deliverance from all our dangers and afflictions.”
In 1861, Americans went to war to keep a cabal from taking control of the government and turning it into an oligarchy. The fight against that rebellion seemed at first to be too much for the nation to survive. But Americans rallied and threw their hearts into the cause on the battlefields even as they continued to work on the home front for a government that defended democracy and equality before the law.
And in 1865, at least, they won.
Happy Thanksgiving.
The American Thanksgiving Story. Collocations. Listening
1. As a ___________ of their efforts
2. seeking religious __________
3. they struggled to ____________ a living
4. the Pilgrims decided to ___________ refuge
5. 102 passengers set ____________ from Plymouth
6. The journey was ________ with much difficulty.
7. Bad storms __________ many leaks
8. The Pilgrims began to explore the _________ area for a _________ place to build their colony.
9. While ferrying back and ________ to land, the Pilgrims
10. Construction was ________ by exceptionally ________ snow and ________ cold
11. Their success was _________ by great ________.
12. __________ half of their ________ group
13. Besides __________, the Pilgrims were concerned _________ the Native American Indians would attack them.
14. To their __________, an Indian named Samoset walked ___________ into the colony and welcomed them in _________ English.
15. Samoset had picked ________ a few English words
16. The Pilgrims used the _________ to negotiate a peace __________ and to establish trading ___________.
17. Squanto’s importance ________ the Pilgrims was enormous
18. they would not have survived __________ his help
19. how to _______ the maple trees for ________
20. As a _________, they had a _________ harvest that provided ________ for the _________ winter.
21. They had raised enough ________ to keep them alive during the long coming _______ and they were _______ peace with their Indian neighbours.
22. The Pilgrim Governor __________ a day of thanksgiving to God for helping them survive the __________ winter.
23. They invited Squanto and other Indians to join them ____ their celebration.
24. the colony suffered a _________
25. Only after Lincoln ________ thanksgiving become an annual ______.
26. the beginning of the Christmas __________ season
27. Many people today _________ the holiday by watching professional football games.
28. Regardless ________ one’s religious _________
29. Afterwards family ____________ may share what they are thankful _________ from that year.
KEY
1. As a result of their efforts
2. seeking religious freedom
3. they struggled to make a living
4. the Pilgrims decided to seek refuge
5. 102 passengers set sail from Plymouth
6. The journey was filled with much difficulty.
7. Bad storms caused many leaks
8. the Pilgrims began to explore the surrounding area for a
suitable place to build their colony.
9. While ferrying back and forth to land, the Pilgrims
10. Construction was hindered by exceptionally
heavy snow and
intense cold
11. Their success was dampened by great
dampen: to make something such as a feeling or activity less strong.
E.g.
The light rain dampened the crowd’s enthusiasm.
Raising interest rates might dampen the economy.
sorrow.
sorrow: a feeling of great sadness, usually because someone has died or because something terrible has happened to you. Sp. pena, pesar.
sorrow at/over/for
He expressed his sorrow at my father’s death.
his sorrow at the death of his colleague. Sp. su pena por la muerte de su colega
Claudia felt a deep pang of sorrow for the woman.
12. nearly half of their
original group
13. Besides survival, the Pilgrims were concerned
that the Native American Indians would attack them.
14. To their surprise, an Indian named Samoset walked
right into the colony and welcomed them in
broken English.
broken:
broken English/French etc
if you speak in broken English, French etc, you speak slowly and make a lot of mistakes because you know only a little of the language.
15. Samoset had picked up a few English words
16. The Pilgrims used the opportunity to negotiate a peace
treaty and to establish trading
relations.
17. Squanto’s importance to the Pilgrims was enormous
18. they would not have survived without his help
19. how to tap the maple trees for
tap: to get liquid from the trunk of a tree by making a hole in it
sap
20. As a result, they had a
bountiful harvest that provided
food for the
coming winter.
21. They had raised enough crops to keep them alive during the long coming
winter and they were
at peace with their Indian neighbours.
22. The Pilgrim Governor proclaimed a day of thanksgiving to God for helping them survive the
brutal winter.
23. They invited Squanto and other Indians to join them in their celebration.
join in (something/doing something) | join in (with somebody/something) to take part in an activity with other people
E.g.
She listens but she never joins in.
I wish he would join in with the other children
24. the colony suffered a drought
25. Only after Lincoln did thanksgiving become an annual
observance.
observance: when someone obeys a law or does something because it is part of a religion, custom, or ceremony.
E.g.
the observance of a peace agreement
the strict observance of Islam
the Memorial Day observance
Sp. cumplimiento, práctica
26. the beginning of the Christmas buying season
27. Many people today observe the holiday by watching professional football games.
observe: to do things and obey laws that are part of a religion or custom. Follow. Sp. celebrar, guardar
28. Regardless of one’s religious
beliefs
29. Afterwards family members may share what they are thankful for from that year.
Transcript
The American Thanksgiving Story
Early in the 17th century, a group of people called the pilgrims wanted to reform and purify England’s churches. As a result of their efforts, they were persecuted, so they sailed to the Netherlands; also known as Holland, seeking religious freedom. After 12 years in Holland where they struggled to make a living and felt threatened by the permissive Dutch society, the Pilgrims decided to seek refuge in a place where they could create a society that matched their religious ideals. In exchange for seven years of work the puritans persuaded a London stock company to finance their journey to the New World. In September 1620, 102 passengers set sail from Plymouth, England on a ship called the Mayflower. The journey took 65 days and was filled with much difficulty. Bad storms weakened the ship and caused many leaks. Many passengers were cold and damp for much of the journey and others were concerned that they wouldn’t even survive.
Though many were sick and one person died, they did make it. On December 11, 1620 the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock and began to explore the surrounding area for a suitable place to build their colony. They chose Plymouth because it had an excellent harbour a large brook in which to catch fish to eat. While living on the Mayflower and ferrying back and forth to land, the Pilgrims built their houses and barns. Construction was hindered by exceptionally heavy snow and intense cold but the settlement was completed in late March 1621. Their success was dampened by great sorrow, nearly half of their original group died that first winter. Besides survival, the Pilgrims were concerned that the Native American Indians would attack them. To their surprise, an Indian named Samoset walked right into the colony and welcomed them in broken English.
Samoset was from an Indian tribe in Maine and had picked up a few English words from the fishermen who came into the harbours there. He told them also of another Indian named Squanto, a native of that place who had been in England, and could speak better English than him. The Pilgrims used the opportunity to negotiate a peace treaty and to establish trading relations.
Squanto’s importance to the Pilgrims was enormous and it can be said that they would not have survived without his help. It was Squanto who taught the Pilgrims how to tap the maple trees for sap, how to plant Indian corn and other crops and how to tell which plants were poisonous and which could be used as medicine. As a result, they had a bountiful harvest that provided food for the coming winter. The Pilgrims had much to celebrate although nearly half of their people died.
They had successfully built homes in the wilderness, raised enough crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter and they were at peace with their Indian neighbours. It was time to give thanks.
The Pilgrim Governor, William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving to God for helping them survive the brutal winter. They invited Squanto and other Indians to join in their celebration. Their chief, Massasoit, and 90 braves came to the celebration which lasted for 3 days.
Two years later the colony suffered a drought and Governor Bradford ordered a day of fasting and prayer. It is reported that soon afterwards it began to rain. To celebrate God’s answer to prayer November 29th was proclaimed a day of thanksgiving. This date is believed to be the beginning of the present day Thanksgiving Day which is held on the 4th Thursday of November. The custom of an annual thanksgiving celebration held after the harvest continued but it became a national observance under Presidents George Washington (in 1789) and Abraham Lincoln (in 1863). Only after Lincoln did thanksgiving become an annual observance. Thanksgiving weekend has become one of the busiest travel periods of the year because it is a 4 to 5 day vacation for many schools and some businesses. It has also become the beginning of the Christmas buying season. Many people today observe the holiday by watching professional football games. Thanksgiving TV programmes and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade held in New York City. Thanksgiving is a time when families gather and enjoy their time together. Many families give thanks to God for His goodness and faithfulness to them. Regardless of one’s religious beliefs most families will share a large meal together of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet corn and pumpkin pie. Afterwards family members may share what they are thankful for from that year. What are some things you are thankful for?
Good health? Family? Good education? Food? Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.
Vocabulary
dampen: to make something such as a feeling or activity less strong.
E.g.
The light rain dampened the crowd’s enthusiasm.
Raising interest rates might dampen the economy.
sorrow: a feeling of great sadness, usually because someone has died or because something terrible has happened to you. Sp. pena, pesar.
sorrow at/over/for
He expressed his sorrow at my father’s death.
his sorrow at the death of his colleague. Sp. su pena por la muerte de su colega
Claudia felt a deep pang of sorrow for the woman.
broken:
broken English/French etc
if you speak in broken English, French etc, you speak slowly and make a lot of mistakes because you know only a little of the language.
join in (something/doing something) | join in (with somebody/something) to take part in an activity with other people
E.g.
She listens but she never joins in.
I wish he would join in with the other children
tap: to get liquid from the trunk of a tree by making a hole in it
observance: when someone obeys a law or does something because it is part of a religion, custom, or ceremony.
E.g.
the observance of a peace agreement
the strict observance of Islam
the Memorial Day observance
Sp. cumplimiento, práctica
observe: to do things and obey laws that are part of a religion or custom. Follow. Sp. celebrar, guardar
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