Thanksgiving is a tradition that dates back to the pilgrims. For most Americans it includes gathering around with friends and family, saying thanks and enjoying turkey and other great food. But the holiday of Thanksgiving actually has a dark past that all who participate should be aware of.

Made a national holiday by former President Abraham Lincoln on Oct. 3, 1863, Thanksgiving started off as a day of peace and celebration. The tradition began in 1621 as the Wampanoag tribe and Pilgrims Plymouth Colony came together to feast and give thanks to each other, or so the story is told. 

The real history of Thanksgiving is much more sinister. For the Wampanoag tribe, Thanksgiving is not a day of peace but remembered as a day of tragedy and injustice. There is no evidence of a celebration or feast between the tribe and the Pilgrims actually happening. 

At the event, there were 90 members of the tribe present, but they may not have been invited. It is believed they were an army sent after the sound of gunshots were heard, according to Forbes.

The interactions between the Wampanoag tribe and the Pilgrims were not peaceful at all. The pilgrims were the main aggressors in their first encounter with the Wampanoag tribe and stole from the tribe’s winter provisions. 

Later on, Ousamequin, the leader of the tribe, formed an alliance with the Pilgrims, though the alliance was only formed because the Wampanoag people were hurt by diseases brought by the European colonizers during previous years. This alliance was formed for survival, rather than fostering an actual relationship and cooperation between the two groups.

Celebrating Thanksgiving is fine, but never forget that the real history of Thanksgiving is a tragic one that all who participate should know.