Historic Realities of Thanksgiving - Certified Teacher With a US History Degree

This class will address some of the myths, misconceptions and historical inaccuracies that many students in the United States are typically taught. Topics in this class will challenge many of the stereotypes and misconceptions that many people think of surrounding the first Thanksgiving.  We will learn about how the local Wampanoag nation of Indigenous people met and interacted with the European colonists, how they helped the colonists survive, how the colonists mistreated and even stole from the Wampanoag and how the colonists eventually turned against the Wampanoag nation.  We will talk about how the tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving evolved in North America, eventually becoming a U.S. federal holiday.  We will also discuss different views of Thanksgiving, including the observance of a national day of mourning, to acknowledge the mistreatment of Indigenous Americans by European colonists.  This class does not include any crafts, music, poems or specific stories.  New information will be taught through traditional lecture, as well as back and forth discussions and questions between the students and the teacher.  Anyone from the youngest learner to teenagers who have a general idea of Thanksgiving in North America will stand to learn something new!