The History of Thanksgiving
The origins of Thanksgiving date back to 1621 when the Pilgrims, English settlers who arrived in America on the Mayflower, held a feast to celebrate their first successful harvest in the New World. The Wampanoag, a local Native American tribe, played a vital role in helping the Pilgrims survive by teaching them how to cultivate crops and hunt local game. In gratitude, the Pilgrims invited the Wampanoag to join them in what became known as the "First Thanksgiving."