With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought it would be nice to do a little research on the reason for the day's celebration. I would like to share a little of what I found with you:
In 1620, a group of Pilgrims took a cruise from Plymouth, England in a ship called Mayflower to start a colony in Virginia. The passengers of the Mayflower, hoping to land in a milder southern climate, were forced to cut their voyage short and go ashore, in part, due to a shortage of beer- obviously the Atlantic crossing is one hell of a "Booze Cruise".
An entry from the journal of a Mayflower passenger, dated December 19, 1620 reads: "We could not now take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being much spent, especially our beer."
Another reason (not commonly listed in history texts) for the unscheduled landing is because of the nagging women on board ("watch out for that whale", "you're sailing too fast", "did I leave the stove on?"). Now the Puritans are pretty damn religious, but let's be realistic- 3 months in a dank boat with a group of back-seat sailors and dwindling beer? I think we all know that Jesus Christ himself would say, "Screw it, you drive." Of course, he could turn water into wine, and that's a pretty bitchin' party trick for a group of drinkers. I'm sure he never ran out of booze.
The settlers considered beer essential to the social, cultural and physical health of their fledgling communities, and a brew houses were among the first structures built in the New World communities during the winter of 1620 - 1621. Later colonists arriving from Europe brought additional supplies with them, carrying three times as much beer as water, and they kept the women below decks. Who says men don't learn from their mistakes?
In their "Plymouth Plantation", the Puritan colonists first priority was to set up a church and a brewery - so that they would be able to satisfy their most pressing needs ... to pray and to drink. Many people will agree that when reaching higher levels of intoxication, prayer is all a man has ("Dear God, if you help me get through this...").
History points out that Puritans enjoyed beer and fellowship, but paradoxically were not a tolerant people. Couples who had babies less than 9 months after their marriage were publicly punished; several men who had consensual gay sex were hanged; and people were tried in court for card-playing, drunkenness, and idleness (this sounds like an above-average weekend to me).
The idea of being part of a community where beer plays a leading role, yet all other facets of life are so strictly dominated, vexes me. I imagine this would be comparable to filling the gas tank of a car with no wheels.
American beer in the 1600s was dark and cloudy, and flavored with hops, a plant used to impart a pleasantly bitter flavor to beers and ales, and also to aide in the preservation of the ale during the crossing. With the exception of the addition of hops, it was very much like the beer that had been brewed in the Old World for hundreds of years.
Colonists knew that beer was good for them and made it a major part of the American diet in the country's early years. Barley was planted and harvested, but early ingredients in colonial brew kettles also included corn, pumpkins, parsnips, and oats. And as an aromatic, walnut chips were sometimes added. These hearty ales sustained the pilgrims, meant to fortify them through the winter starvation times. As proof of the importance of beer, the daily consumption of the Puritans was regulated by law- they were allowed up to two quarts for breakfast. This practice was established when the Puritans discovered that any beer leftover from the previous night's tapping had to be finished off, or else it would go flat, then it would just set around with cigarette butts floating in it.
The fall harvest of 1621 was successful and the Pilgrims had enough food to put away for the winter. They packed fruits, vegetables and fish in salt and cured meats over smoky fires. With much to celebrate in beating the odds of survival, they declared a day of Thanksgiving to include their Native American friends. During the first Thanksgiving celebration, colonists and Indians together tapped a keg of beer, cementing the bond between the groups. That is until they started doing shots of Wild Turkey- then all hell broke loose. One of the Puritans started hitting on some chief's sqauw and the Indians started making fun of how the Puritans danced. It got ugly.
"Some Indians appreciated the colonial beverages and did not drink to excess. Samoset Redman, for instance, the tribesman who helped the Pilgrims survive their first winter, was particularly fond of beer. The first Thanksgiving saw red and white men happily downing gallons of ale and liquor together. But the picture changed rapidly as the settlers became convinced that Indians, for reasons the Europeans could not explain, were especially prone to drunkenness.... Many early settlers believed Indians to be uncivilized--nothing more than "savages"; therefore, any sign of intemperate behavior served to confirm that image. Some modern anthropologists have termed the so-called Indian drinking problem the "firewater myth." This stereotype not only followed the white frontier line to the Pacific but in many respects has survived into the present."
The white man's ales and refined liquors were so attractive to the savages that they started selling their lands at rock-bottom prices, giving away acres of real estate that was ripe for development for beads and blankets. As they spiraled into the abyss of alcoholism, they became increasingly desperate for a means of trade, and eventually started gambling to raise money. They opened terrific casinos in order to entice the white man.
So this Thanksgiving, when your mother asks what you are thankful for, proudly tell her that you are thankful that you can just go to the store to buy a wool blanket and a six-pack of beer, and that the smallpox didn't nearly wipe out your entire people.
Mr. Sir. is thankful that he knows to double-down on an eleven, always bet the max on the slots, and always tips the drink girl for faster service.
|
|
Store
66,727 
9 
56,688 
10
