When gathering for a Thanksgiving meal, a few staples adorn the table. From roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes, these fixings will surely be part of the feast. But ever wonder why these classic foods are commonly seen every year?
According to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, many foods enjoyed on American tables are from Mexico and South America. Here are how these foods made it to millions across the U.S. and how they are rooted in the country's early beginnings.
(Credit: The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth, 1914, Jennie Augusta Brownscombe, Public Domain)
The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth, 1914, Jennie Augusta Brownscombe, Public Domain
Only two known sources documented the types of foods eaten at the first Thanksgiving over 400 years ago. One account from a person present at the event is from a letter by Edward Winslow, one of the founders and governor of the Plymouth ...
