The Pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower were not the first to celebrate Thanksgiving in the New World. Several groups before them had done similar things.
But the Plymouth Rock Thanksgiving is the one we model our celebration after; for one thing, it included turkey:
Governor William Bradford sent "four men fowling" after wild ducks, geese, and turkey.7 The warriors brought five deer. The feast probably consisted of the following items (constructed from original sources and historical research by the Plimoth Plantation):
Seethed [boiled] Lobster
Roasted Goose
Boiled Turkey
Fricase of Coney (rabbit)
Pudding of Indian Corn Meal with dried Whortleberries (blueberries)
Seethed Cod
Roasted Duck
Stewed Pumpkin
Roasted Venison with Mustard Sauce
Savory Pudding of Hominy
Fruit and Holland Cheese
4. What -- no green bean casserole, no cranberries, and no sweet potatoes? Well, I guess stewed pumpkin would taste a bit like sweet potatoes! It would be fun -- and expensive (with lobster) to duplicate this menu, but I think most of us would rather have our family favorites.