Remember our Humble Beginnings - Nov. 22, 2023
This summer, I was honored to speak to three groups on the East Coast—the Maine Municipal Association , the Vermont League of Cities and Towns , and the New Jersey Municipal Management Association (NJMMA) . There is so much history in the area, especially in New England, that I knew I’d be taking advantage of the chance to visit places that had long been on my bucket list. One of them was Plymouth Rock.
I think most American school kids learn about?Plymouth Rock ?and the “First Thanksgiving” by the time they’re in kindergarten, and while more than a million people visit the Rock each year, this was my first visit. I have to agree with those who find the Rock itself to be a bit underwhelming, but the story that began there, the story of America, would change the world. That’s what stays with you, a sense that this is where we started.
As is often the case, visiting a place made me want to know more. What I found was that there was a lot I didn’t know. For instance, I didn’t know that an early version of Thanksgiving was held in Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle almost a hundred years before the Mayflower landed?or that by 1777, all 13 colonies were holding Thanksgiving celebrations. I didn’t know that President George Washington declared November 26 a national day of Thanksgiving or that President Abraham Lincoln would make it official by issuing a proclamation calling for the last Thursday of November to be a day of “Thanksgiving and Praise.”
My point is that there’s so much of Thanksgiving history that we don’t know, including its?dark side . It’s all part of the American story. It’s our history, and it needn't be hidden or changed. It is all a part of who we are, and much of it can still inform who we choose to be. It holds?lessons learned and lessons we have yet to learn.?It comprises great accomplishments and even greater strides toward the promise this country represents.
So, I hope that in this time of Thanksgiving, as we celebrate with family and friends, we remember who we are and where we started—on a small rock on the edge of a great ocean. From such humble beginnings, this incredible country began. I will remember my visit to Plymouth Rock and?be thankful for it and all it represents.
Have a great week, everyone. Happy Thanksgiving!
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