Interview: What’s the History Behind Thanksgiving Day?

Lisa Anderson’s Boundless Show, interviewing Bill Petro. Image: Boundless

Interview: What’s the History behind Thanksgiving Day?

Lisa Anderson recently interviewed me on her Boundless podcast/radio show. She asked me several questions about the history behind the first Thanksgiving Day, who the Pilgrims were, the differences from the Puritans, the backstory of Squanto, the friendly Native American who spoke English, and the customs we practice.

Here’s the blurb on the podcast:

“Culture: What Really Happened at the First Thanksgiving?

Pilgrims, Squanto, turkey, corn, big hats and a New World: We think we know the details of the first Thanksgiving, but what’s fact and what’s fiction? Thankfully, Bill Petro has done all the research so we don’t have to. He’ll share what led up to the historic feast, who participated, what it meant, and why it matters in 2025. We’ll also discuss the commercialization of Thanksgiving and some of the more modern applications and traditions.“

Listen to the Thanksgiving Interview

Note: because this is part of a collection of three interviews, mine is the second one and starts after the music at the time mark 26:48 and goes to 50:57.

Click on the link below and move the slider to the 26:48 mark:

Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian
billpetro.com