Thanksgiving is a national United States holiday. As a child, I didn’t know much of its real history and components. Now, I’m older. I know of its history for real. First, it is important to note that thanksgiving ceremonies existed in the human family for thousands of years. Many religions celebrate the thanksgiving ethos of giving thanks to food or being thankful in general for the processes of existence in the Universe. The Thanksgiving that is commonly mentioned deals with the Mayflower and European interactions with Native Americans long centuries ago. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in America, Canada, some parts of the Caribbean, and Liberia. During harvest time for the span of human history, people did celebrations and rituals to celebrate the blessing of the growth of food production in their vicinity. Now, American Thanksgiving can be traced to the Protestant Reformation era. The Protestant Reformation was created by Martin Luther. It was about first, many Catholics trying to reform the Catholic Church. The reason was that back then, the Catholic Church was involved in evils like indulgences, the Inquisition, religious persecution, and other forms of corruption. It is quite obvious that I disagree with the Catholic Church on many of its doctrines. It’s not a secret. I don’t agree with calling priests father, I don’t agree with forbidding priests to marry involuntarily, I don’t believe that Mary was a perpetual virgin, and I won’t call the Pope the Vicar of Christ. It is clear that purgatory has no scriptural basis of fact in any circumstance, and I don’t believe in transubstantiation (as the book of Hebrews is clear that Jesus Christ offered up one sacrifice forever being on the right hand of God the Father). The Vatican refused to reform, and Protestants developed. Wars existed among Protestants and Catholics until the 1600’s. In England, there were the Puritans and the Pilgrims that relate to the American Thanksgiving story. Now, the divine rights of kings heresy is very similar to the Pope falsely claiming divine authority. Back then, King James ruled the United Kingdom. King James was right to disagree with many doctrines of Roman Catholics. His problem was that he made it his business to persecute Baptists and other separatists who didn’t want to submit to the state church. Many people who disagreed with the state church were imprisoned and killed during the early 1600’s. The Anglican Church was nearly identical to the Catholic Church. That is why many Baptists, Puritans, and other Protestant separtists left the UK and came into America. They wanted religious liberty. Now, some of them did the wrong thing in murdering Native Americans. I want to make that clear. Also, William Schaw worked with King James VI of Scotland. William Schaw (who was accused of being a suspected Jesuit and holding anti-English views during the 1590’s. We know about the zealots involved in the Gunpowder terrorist plot in England) helped to build castles and palaces. Some claim that he was an important figure in the development of Freemasonry in Scotland (as he was involved in the First and Second Schaw statues). Early Thanksgiving ceremonies were in Virginia by 1607, in Charles City County, Virginia in 1637, and were created by the French plus the Spanish during the 16th century.
First, it is important to make a distinction between Puritans and Pilgrims. Pilgrims came into America first while the Puritans came into America later on. The Pilgrims were overt Separatists. They wanted to leave the Church of England completely. They formed the Mayflower Compact in establishing their religious and political views. They wanted a more democratic model of governance. The Church of England oppressed the Pilgrims so much that they migrated to the Netherlands first. The Dutch welcomed them. Later, they traveled from Holland (or the Netherlands) into North America. They settled on Plymouth. The Puritans were completely different. They wanted reform in the Church of England without breaking away from it. They wanted to purify the Anglican Church by removing Roman Catholic doctrines from it. They created the Massachusetts Bay Colony which was a strict theocratic society. It has so much strict theocratic laws that some separated from that colony. The Pilgrims were working class, poor people with folks like William Brewster. The Puritans were upper middle class, some were educated, and some of their members were John Endicott, John Winthrop, etc. The Quakers came into America too. Quakers believe that each human being has the ability to have the access of the light within or that God is in every one. The Quakers rejected swearing oaths, believed in the priesthood of all believers, they believed in religious toleration, many of them had cordial relations with Native Americans, and they became ardent opponents of slavery. The Pilgrims’ journey to North America was a dangerous one (they came to Plymouth on December 21, 1620). Many people were sick and the climate was cold. They came into a land where a plague killed most of Native Americans except for the Patuxent. A harsh winter killed many Pilgrims. Later, Squanto (or a Native American Patuxent member who learned English and was once a slave in Europe) taught the Pilgrims to catch eel and grow corn. He was sent by Samoset or the first Native American to see the Pilgrims. The Wampanoag leader Massasoit gave food to the colonists during the first winter. They or the Pilgrims had their Thanksgiving in 1621. 50 Pilgrims and 90 Native Americans were there. Four adult Pilgrim women cooked the food. Their names are Eleanor Billington, Elizabeth Hopkins, Mary Brewster, and Susanna White. The Pilgrims and the Puritans embraced Calvinistic views. The 1623 harvest was large as well. At first, the Native Americans and the Pilgrims had peaceful relations. Later, we know the rest of the story. Squanto worked with other tribes in forming trading plans. Massasoit, Squanto, and other Wampanoags were captured by Corbitant or the sachem of the Narragansett tribe. Myles Standish wanted to execute Corbitant. Standish injured many Native Americans. Later, Myles Standish and his men murdered Native Americans like Massachusett leaders when they posed no threat to them. Myles Standish was a murderer and a war criminal. Standish’s raid ruined a more peaceful relationship between the Pilgrims and Native Americans. William Bradford admitted to this. The pilgrim’s only close ally was the Massasoit led Wampanoag tribe. Standish was the military leader of the Plymouth colony. The Pequot War and the King Philip’s War came later. King Philip was the younger son of Massasoit. He didn’t want more settlers to take more Native American lands. The mysterious death of the Christian Native American John Sassamon caused war. By the end of the 1600's, Native Americans experienced genocide, and many left the region. Therefore, we know the truth. Having empathy towards the indigenous people means that we can never glamorize killers and murderers like many European imperialists were.
For long centuries, America has existed with heroes and villains. Many American heroes were Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells, Malcolm X, John Brown, and other people. We know who the villains are. Now, I reject the extremes of some believing that America is all perfect (and must be genuflected without legitimate critique) and the other extreme that America can never redeem itself to be better than the past. Part of redemption is acknowledging the imperfections of the past. You still have people today trying to minimize the genocide of the Native Americans and the enslavement of millions of Africans which I find to be very disrespectful. History teaches us that courageous Americans of every era of the journey of the United States of America worked hard to fight injustice while recognizing the real imperfections found in America at the same time. Trump’s criminality, bigotry, hypocrisies, sexism, xenophobia, narcissism, and profane rhetoric are evil plus repugnant. We should lift people up not tear each other down in an inappropriate way. As the impeachment of Trump looks over the horizon, our august, intrepid principles of democracy, justice and human liberation remain presently in our hearts. Over many years, some people have given up and left the faith. Yet, I will not. I still believe in Black Love and Black Liberation. I still love Africa and truth with all of my heart, mind, soul, and strength. I will honor the sacrifice of my ancestors and my relatives after almost four decades of me living on this Earth.
There are lots of cultural staples in Norfolk, Virginia. Norfolk is the urban capital of the Hampton Roads region. Hampton Roads isn’t just found in Virginia. It is also found in Northeast North Carolina as many of our cousins or ancestors are from North Carolina. That is why we watch UNC-TV in Virginia. Norfolk came a long way. Back in the day, Norfolk was heavily segregated via Jim Crow laws until the 1960’s. In the 21st century, a new era exists in Norfolk, Virginia. The Chrysler Museum of Art is found near Downtown Norfolk. It is one of Virginia’s foremost art museums. There are American neoclassical marble sculptures, paintings, and other elaborate exhibits. It was created in 1933. Also, Town Point Park in Norfolk, Virginia has been home to yearly festivals and parades. Nauticus is a maritime museum that has hands on exhibits, high definition films, and educational programs to help people further understand the water environment in the world. Nauticus is home to the USS Wisconsin. The Hermitage Foundation Museum found near the Lafayette River has Asian and Western art plus Chinese bronze including ceramics, etc. The General Douglas MacArthur Memorial is located at Downtown Norfolk. It has a rotunda image. It has the tombs of both General Douglas MacArthur and his wife. The Virginia Opera is found in Norfolk. Norfolk Scope and the Ted Constant Convocation Center are venues where people go to for various concerts and conferences. The HBCU Norfolk State University, Old Domination University, and Tidewater Community College are all located at Norfolk, Virginia. The Naro Cinema is popular. Also, the historic facility of Attucks Theater is more than 100 years old with various musicians still performing there. The Waterside Festival Marketplace was opened in 1983 and rebuilt as Waterside District in May of 2017. The Waterside District has stores, restaurants, and other entertainment services. Harbor Park is a well-known baseball stadium that has existed for years. It overlooks the Elizabeth River. The Virginia Zoo and the Botanical Garden (which is Virginia’s largest botanical garden) are ever present.
As the capital of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia has a long history. Recently, the both houses of the Virginian legislature are mostly blue. Culture is found all over Richmond indeed. Many of the city’s large museums are found near the Boulevard. On Boulevard proper, there are the Virginia Historical Society and the Virginia Museum of Fine arts. On Broad Street, there is the Science Museum of Virginia. The Library of Virginia, the Valentine Richmond History Center, the Children’s Museum of Richmond, and the Virginia Holocaust Museum are found in Richmond, Virginia. The American Civil War Center is found in the city. St. John’s Church was the place of Patrick Henry’s speech about him saying, “Give me liberty or give me death.” The Edgar Allan Poe Museum has many of his writings and other artifacts as a child. There is the Bill “Bojangles” Robinson monument in Jackson Ward. The Altria Theater is the city owned opera house. The Leslie Cheek Theater reopened in 2011. Richmond’s music venue is found at the National Theater. The Visual Arts Center of Richmond has one of the largest nongovernmental arts learning centers in the state of Virginia. It was created in 1963 and serves 28,000 people annually. In downtown Richmond, there is the Virginia Commonwealth University including its schools of the arts (that is ranked as one of the best in the nation). Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and Monroe Park has enriched the lives of many people. The Arthur Ashe Athletic Center is a multi-purpose area named after Richmond resident and tennis great Arthur Ashe. It hosts sporting events, concerts, and other activities. The Richmond Raceway hosts many car races for years. The Diamond is a baseball stadium found on Arthur Ashe Boulevard in Richmond, Virginia. Richmond, Virginia is a great city with a lot of culture. It has great powerful in the development of how our world society operates.
It has been a long journey to discover more of my family tree. Not too long ago, I didn’t know that much information about my family tree beyond my great-grandparents. With new resources, DNA technology, and other assistance, I have witnessed an explosion of facts of my relatives in this time. When I found out about Zilphy Claud, I didn’t knew how she was related to me. After some time during the summer of 2018, I found out that she was my maternal 5th great grandmother. Zilphy Claud’s parents were A. Blunt and F. Blunt. She was a brave woman who was born a slave and lived to see freedom after the American Civil War. She lived form 1820-1893. I am a direct descendant of Zilphy’s daughter named Sarah Claud (1842-1892). As for my paternal side, my 4th great grandfather was a man named James. He lived in North Carolina. He married a woman named Edney. Later, their children and grandchildren would be my ancestors. They lived in Halifax County, North Carolina or at Scotland Neck. As time went on, my paternal ancestors traveled from North Carolina into Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York State. Many of my relatives are descended from my ancestor George Perkins too. The adventure is just getting started. I’m learning new information constantly about our distant cousins today. It’s an exciting time in my life, and I will always believe in justice.
By Timothy
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