Pumpkins and other Native American foods have become associated with autumn in New England and with holiday celebrations.
“Let no man make a jest at Pumpkins, for with this fruit the Lord was pleased to feed his people to their good content, til Corne and Cattle were increased.”
- Edward Johnson, 1654
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Pumpkins
Like corn, pumpkins have an origin in Central America. By the time of the Pilgrims they were cultivated by Native people in Massachusetts but also familiar in England (sometimes called “pompions.”) Spanish explorers had introduced them to Europe in the previous century. Pumpkins were baked, boiled or mashed in Massachusetts during the seventeenth century. By the nineteenth century sweet pumpkin pies were a Thanksgiving staple.
Turkey
Turkey is native to the western hemisphere. South American turkeys were introduced to Europe by the Spanish and were familiar to Pilgrims and Puritans before their arrival in America. Later, wild turkeys were hunted to near extinction in Massachusetts. Merchants from the eastern Mediterranean purchased turkeys in Seville, Spain and sold them at European ports. These “Turkey merchants” (thought to be from Turkey) may have popularized the name.
Cranberries
Today Massachusetts is the second largest producer of cranberries in the United States. English colonists called them “bear berries” because they attracted bears and “cranberries” because pink blossoms in spring resembled the head and neck of a crane.
- Colonial Homes Magazine, November, 1975, Hearst Communications
Turkey on Thanksgiving
In England, game birds like pheasant and partridge were more prestigious than “butcher meat” like pork. They were favored at aristocratic tables. When turkey was introduced in England it was seen as a higher status food at first. Possibly this made it a “special occasion” choice in early American homes as well. By the nineteenth century it was a Thanksgiving standard.
Pudding Politics
Early puddings, made with meat and vegetables, were a main course. By the late eighteenth century sweet dessert puddings were becoming popular. It was learned that John Adams preferred pudding early in the meal, while Thomas Jefferson served it as dessert. In Salem, “Federalists” followed Adams practice at mealtime, while “Republicans” (the forerunners of today’s Democrats) followed Jefferson’s example in politics and pudding.
Thomas Jefferson . . .
Thomas Jefferson
John Adams . . .
John Adams