According to what traditionally is known as The First Thanksgiving- the 1621 feast between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag at Plymouth Colony- the guests ate waterfowl, venison, ham, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, and squash- but no turkey! The colonists hunted wild turkeys during the autumn of 1621 and since turkey is a uniquely North American bird, it gained traction as the Thanksgiving meal of choice for Americans after President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. |