William Bradford’s first-hand account of the original Thanksgiving. (using the punctuation and spelling of the original text.)

William Bradford writing in Of Plymouth Plantation:

“I may not here omite how, notwithstand all their great paines & industrie, and ye great hops of a large cropp, the Lord seemed to blast, & take away the same, and to threaten further & more sore famine unto them, by a great drought which continued from ye 3. weeke in May, till about ye middle of July, without any raine, and with great heat (for ye most parte), insomuch as ye corne began to wither away, though it was set with fishe, the moisture wherof helped it much.

“Yet at length it begane to languish sore, and some of ye drier grounds were partched like withered hay, part wherof was never recovered. Upon which they sett a parte a solemne day of humiliation, to seek ye Lord by humble & fervente prayer, in this great distrese. Ane he was pleased to give them a gracious & speedy answer, both to their owne, & the Indeans admiration, that lived amongst them. For all ye morning, and greatest part of the day, it was clear weather & very hotte, and not a cloud or any signe of raine to be seen, yet toward evening it begaine to overcast, and shortly after to raine, with such sweete and gentle showers, as gave them cause of rejoyceing, & blessing God.

“It came without either wind, or thunder, or any violence, and by degreese in yt abundance, as that ye earth was thorowly wete and soked therwith. Which did so apparently revive & quicken ye decayed corne & other fruits, as was wonderfull to see, and made ye Indeans astonished to behold; and afterwards the Lord sent them such seasonable showers, with enterchange of faire warme weather, as, through his blessing, caused a fruitful & liberall harvest, to their no small comforte and rejoicing. For which mercie (in time conveniente) they also sett aparte a day of thanksgiveing.”

——–

Edward Winslow’s Description (also in its original punctuation and spelling);

Edward Winslow, writing in Mourt’s Relation :

“our harvest being gotten in, our governour sent foure men on fowling, that so we might after a speciall manner rejoyce together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labours ; they foure in one day killed as much fowle, as with a little helpe beside, served the Company almost a weeke, at which time amongst other Recreations, we exercised our Armes, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoyt, with some ninetie men, whom for three dayes we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five Deere, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our Governour, and upon the Captaine and others. And although it be not always so plentifull, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so farre from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plentie.”