When most people think of Thanksgiving, they picture the 1621 feast between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag in Plymouth. But did you know that another Thanksgiving took place two years earlier in Virginia? On December 4, 1619, 38 English settlers arrived at Berkeley Hundred, along the James River, and held a ceremony of gratitude, which some historians believe marks the first Thanksgiving in the Americas.
The settlers, traveling aboard the ship Margaret, had left Bristol, England, on September 16, 1619. They were sent by the Virginia Company to establish a new colony in the New World. Upon reaching their destination after a long and challenging journey, the group followed the company’s instructions to immediately offer thanks to God for their safe arrival. This wasn’t a feast like the one in Plymouth; instead, it was a solemn Anglican prayer service to express their gratitude and hope for the future.
While this 1619 Thanksgiving might not have involved turkey or cranberries, it holds an important place in history. Unlike the Plymouth celebration, which centered around a successful harvest, the Berkeley event was purely religious. However, this ceremony has largely been overshadowed in popular culture and was only rediscovered in the 20th century. Today, the event is commemorated annually at Berkeley Plantation, the site believed to be the original location of the Berkeley Hundred settlement.
Sadly, the settlement itself faced tragedy soon after its founding. In 1622, the Powhatan Uprising struck the area, leading to the deaths of many settlers and the abandonment of Berkeley Hundred. Despite this, the 1619 Thanksgiving reminds us that expressions of gratitude have deep and diverse roots in American history.
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This day in history invites us to broaden our understanding of Thanksgiving and reflect on the struggles and resilience of those who sought new beginnings in the New World.