how did turkey become the main course for thanksgiving

There was a time where there were over 10 million turkeys in North America. However it attracted popularity as a Thanksgiving meal to Americans after 1863 when Lincoln declared Thanksgiving as a national holiday. This was when turkey became a traditional American Thanksgiving meal.

Full Answer

Was the first Thanksgiving really a Turkey?

It's one thing that historians don't seem to be able to agree on, even though there's considerable evidence for turkeys being a popular dinnertime menu item for centuries. When it comes to the very first Thanksgiving, you're talking about a harvest celebration that happened in 1621.

What happens to the turkeys on Thanksgiving Day?

These turkeys were initially slaughtered and eaten for the President's Thanksgiving dinner; since 1989, the presented turkeys have typically been given a mock pardon to great fanfare and sent to a park to live out the rest of their usually short natural lives.

What did the annual days of thanksgiving consist of?

The annual days of thanksgiving consisted mainly of worship services and family dinners, and this was repeated over the years. ^ Shannon-Missal, Larry (November 19, 2015).

What did the pilgrims do on their first Thanksgiving?

In 1872, in “America's Thanksgiving Hymn,” she credits the Pilgrims as being "free to do and pray, And keep in sober gladness Their first Thanksgiving Day". Hale did not suggest that the Pilgrim thanksgiving included feasting.

Where did Thanksgiving originate?

There is indeed evidence of a meal shared between Pilgrim settlers at Plymouth colony (in what is now Massachusetts) and Wampanoag people in late 1621.

What is the Thanksgiving meal?

As celebrated in the United States, the holiday of Thanksgiving usually revolves around a bountiful meal . Typical dishes include bread stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and, above all, turkey. How did turkey become the centerpiece of this feast?

How many turkeys were there in the 19th century?

There were a few reasons for this. First, the bird was rather plentiful. One expert estimated that there were at least 10 million turkeys in America at the time of European contact.

Did the pilgrims bring turkeys?

But there is no indication that turkey was served . For meat, the Wampanoag brought deer, and the Pilgrims provided wild “fowl.”. Strictly speaking, that “fowl” could have been turkeys, which were native to the area, but historians think it was probably ducks or geese.

Did the Pilgrims give thanks for the harvest?

For the Pilgrims, giving thanks for the autumn harvest wasn’t a new concept. As a tradition with roots in European harvest festivals and Christian religious observances, “days of thanksgiving” were fairly common among the colonists of New England.

Is the wild turkey endangered?

Although the wild turkey was considered endangered in the early 20th century, its population once again stands in the millions. In addition, modern breeding practices have helped make turkeys both larger and cheaper than ever, thus ensuring their continued place on the Thanksgiving table.

When was the first Thanksgiving?

It's one thing that historians don't seem to be able to agree on, even though there's considerable evidence for turkeys being a popular dinnertime menu item for centuries. When it comes to the very first Thanksgiving, you're talking about a harvest celebration that happened in 1621. There are only two eyewitness accounts of what happened during that three-day feast: a letter written by Edward Winslow and sent back to England and a written record from Plymouth's governor, William Bradford. While Winslow doesn't mention turkeys at all, Bradford writes, "And besides waterfowl, there was a great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc."

When was Thanksgiving declared a national holiday?

The actual celebration of Thanksgiving dates back ( officially, at least) to 1777 when an act of the Continental Congress declared it a real holiday. It was during Abraham Lincoln's presidency, though, that Thanksgiving was declared a nationwide holiday again. That was in 1863, and really, the timing was perfect. The nation had never suffered such a divide as it did with the Civil War, and this was a way to remind everyone of all that they had to be grateful for.

Why are turkeys so popular?

When it comes to food sources, you're probably a big fan of convenience. Our ancestors were no different, and part of the reason for the popularity of the turkey is that it's a bird native to North America. The fossil record shows that they've been around for about five million years. They were first domesticated in Mexico centuries before any European set foot on the continent, and it was in the 16th century that settlers brought the big birds northward into what's now America. They also took them to Europe, where they were a huge, exotic hit, and when the first settlements were established along the Atlantic coast, turkeys were right there, too.

Is Thanksgiving a holiday?

Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season, and it's common to have turkey at Christmas, too. Some historians think that the two most special dinners of the year are linked, and that it might have something to do with the popularity of Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol. When the book was published in the 1840s, it introduced an American audience to the idea of a turkey being something extra special. It's what the Cratchit family wants to share most in the world, after all, and not long after the book, turkeys started gaining popularity in the upper levels of society. When turkeys took a dip in price, they were later associated more with the working class and a reminder of how much meat they had, how many family members they could feed, and how money-efficient they were. By then, though, they were firmly entrenched in our holiday traditions.

When did turkey become part of the traditional dinner?

By 1857, turkey had become part of the traditional dinner in New England. The domesticated turkey eaten now is very different from the wild turkey known to the Pilgrims, Hamilton, and Franklin. The species Meleagris gallopavo was native to the Americas and evolved around 5 million years ago.

What is the tradition of Thanksgiving dinner?

The tradition of Thanksgiving dinner often has been associated in popular culture with New England. New England Puritans proclaimed days of thanksgiving to commemora te many specific events. Such days were marked by religious observances, prayer, and sometimes fasting. Church records of the time do not mention food or feasting as being part of such events. A single exception records that following church services in 1636, there was “Then makeing merry to the creatures, the poorer sort being invited of the richer.”

Why was Thanksgiving discouraged?

Because Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday, this meant that turkey and pumpkin pie, two Thanksgiving staples, were discouraged, not only for that holiday, but for Christmas and New Year's Day as well, since those holidays landed on Thursday in 1947. (Pumpkin pie was discouraged because it contained eggs.)

What is Thanksgiving without stuffing?

Many Americans would regard Thanksgiving dinner as "incomplete" without stuffing or dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy, and cranberry sauce. A recipe for cranberry sauce to be served with turkey appeared in the first American cookbook, American Cookery (1796) by Amelia Simmons.

What are the foods that are served at Thanksgiving?

Many of the dishes in a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner are made from ingredients native to the Americas, including turkey, potatoes, yams, pumpkin and cranberries. Immigrants such as the Plymouth Pilgrims may have learned about some of these foods from the Native Americans, but other foods were not available to the early settlers.

What is the centerpiece of Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving dinner. The centerpiece of contemporary Thanksgiving in the United States and in Canada is Thanksgiving dinner, a large meal, generally centered on a large roasted turkey. Thanksgiving may be the largest eating event in the United States as measured by retail sales of food and beverages and by estimates of individual food intake.

What are some side dishes that are served with turkey?

At Thanksgiving dinner, turkey is served with a variety of side dishes which vary from traditional dishes such as mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce, to ones that reflect regional or cultural heritage. Many of the dishes in a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner are made from ingredients native to the Americas, including turkey, ...