Neither snow, nor sleet, nor hail, nor driving rains, not even
invasive pat-downs and body scans at the airport can keep many
of us from traveling long stretches of terrain this Thanksgiving
weekend to reunite with family and loved ones. As we get ready,
then, to make our final holiday plans, I prepared some
historical nuggets to remind us of our rich history associated
with Thanksgiving in America. • On December 4, 1619, Captain
John Woodlief and 37 other English settlers arrived on what is
now Berkeley Plantation at Charles City, Virginia. During a
brief religious service, they gave thanks for their safe arrival
after months at sea. This is believed to have been the first
Thanksgiving in the English-speaking New World. The new settlers
didn’t participate in a feast • On December 13, 1621, Plymouth
Colony Governor William Bradford announced a day of feasting and
prayer in thanksgiving for the harvesting of a bountiful crop
and having survived a harsh winter the year before. • Historical
records show that In