In some ways, Thanksgiving is a tradition that unites Americans. But the classic image of the Pilgrims obscures important parts of the country’s story.
Articles on Pilgrims
Displaying 1 - 20 of 22 articles
Many people exaggerate their experiences of travel and pilgrimage, but such fabrications date back to the Middle Ages.
Puritans and Pilgrims came out of the same religious culture of 1570s England. Pilgrims hosted the first American Thanksgiving, and Puritans arrived later.
Modern pilgrims are increasingly turning to the waves in search of more creative and contemporary ways to explore their faith and its history.
The Pilgrims who started the first Thanksgiving tradition after they landed in Plymouth were following the customs they had grown up with, originating in medieval times.
A mix of New England and British traditions and historical events led to the particular poultry you’ll find on Thanksgiving tables everywhere.
Just as Christians in the 1800s were persecuted for embracing foreign teachings, today the regime in power vilifies civil society and opposition political parties as foreign agents.
During pilgrimage walks, people often observe and appreciate simple things more keenly, feel the spiritual connection with their surroundings and gain new, enriching life perspectives.
The communion between Native Americans and the Pilgrims makes for a compelling narrative. But it masks the suspicions and brewing violence that were far more representative of the era.
The Puritans had little tolerance for those who didn’t conform to their vision of the world.
For his first presidential Thanksgiving, George Washington aimed to pull his country together in the face of the many internal divisions that could yank it apart.
An ex-minister named John Lyford arrived at the nascent colony hoping for a fresh start. But he couldn’t escape his past.
Descendants from the Pilgrims were keen to highlight their ancestors’ role in the country’s founding. But their sanitized version of events is only now starting to be told in full.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended pilgrimage to its holy sites. Many Muslims travel to these holy sites round the year for a pilgrimage known as Umrah. Here is what it means to their faith.
As people have grown closer and more connected, the old definition of loneliness slipped away – and a new one has emerged.
The Pilgrims repeatedly thanked God for their good fortune. But without two earlier developments, the entire undertaking at New Plymouth would have likely failed.
Dishes we consider staples today have little to do with the first feast.
Films motivate people to travel to locations previously unknown. In the process, tourists become a lot like spiritual seekers.
Henry VIII’s Spanish queen, Catherine, introduced him to them and he is said to have eaten 20 at one sitting. Food for thought this Thanksgiving.
A globalization expert shares two surprising tales of how the powerful winds of trans-Atlantic trade affected the quintessentially American holiday.
Top contributors
-
Distinguished Professor and Professor of the Humanities, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
-
Associate Member of the History Faculty, University of Oxford, University of Oxford
-
Professor of History and Environmental Studies, University of Oregon
-
Distinguished Professor of Management & Global Business, Rutgers University
-
Professor of History, University of Warwick
-
Researcher in Sustainable Tourism Development, Swansea University
-
Professor Emerita of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross
-
Professor of American History, Università di Torino
-
Dean, School of Social Sciences, Uganda Christian University
-
Professor of History, Texas A&M University
-
Professor and Joyce Appleby Endowed Chair of America in the World, University of California, Los Angeles
-
Affiliate Researcher, Religion and Civic Culture Center, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences; Bayreuth University
-
Professor of History, Miami University
-
Profesora Contratada Doctora, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
-
Docente