The First Thanksgiving

The First Thanksgiving
In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. This harvest meal has become a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and Native Americans. Although this feast is considered by many to the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Native American groups throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America.
Source: http://www.history.com/minisites/thanksgiving Thanksgiving History, Videos, Facts

The First Thanksgiving
The first American Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621, to commemorate the harvest reaped by the Plymouth Colony after a harsh winter. In that year Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving. The colonists celebrated it as a traditional English harvest feast, to which they invited the local Wampanoag Indians. Days of thanksgiving were celebrated throughout the colonies after fall harvests. All thirteen colonies did not, however, celebrate Thanksgiving at the same time until October 1777. George Washington was the first president to declare the holiday, in 1789.
A New National Holiday
By the mid–1800s, many states observed a Thanksgiving holiday. Meanwhile, the poet and editor Sarah J. Hale had begun lobbying for a national Thanksgiving holiday. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, looking for ways to unite the nation, discussed the subject with Hale. In 1863 he gave his Thanksgiving Proclamation, declaring the last Thursday in November a day of thanksgiving. In 1939, 1940, and 1941 Franklin D. Roosevelt, seeking to lengthen the Christmas shopping season, proclaimed Thanksgiving the third Thursday in November. Controversy followed, and Congress passed a joint resolution in 1941 decreeing that Thanksgiving should fall on the fourth Thursday of November, where it remains.

Source: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/tgturkey1.html First Thanksgiving Day History and New National Holiday

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Day in Canada, Grenada, and the United States

http://www.thanksgivinghistory.net/ Thanksgiving History

As you can see there are several explanations about the First Thanksgiving. If you want more resources on Thankgsiving, please check out http://www.geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/thanksgiving.htm . See the Native American theme resources at http://geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/nativeamericans.htm .
To learn about the Pilgrims go to http://geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/pilgrims.htm .
Have a great Thanksgiving Day!