Forget what you learned about the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. It did not begin with the Pilgrims and Indians in 1621, when English settlers invited Native Americans to dinner. And Abraham Lincoln was not the first U.S. president to call for a national day of Thanksgiving. Instead, says historian Penny Colman, the origins of the holiday are more complex. They are rooted in ancient traditions, one woman’s activism, and political and business interests. Colman wrote the book “Thanksgiving: The True Story.” She explains that people around the world have held harvest festivals and days of thanksgiving for centuries. Usually leaders called for a day of thanksgiving after winning a battle or surviving a difficult time. In 1789, U.S. President George Washington called for a national day of thanksgiving during his first year in office. He did not say anything about Pilgrims and Indians. Instead, he urged Americans to thank God for their new government.
Title: Activists, Business Leaders -- Not Pilgrims -- Created America’s Thanksgiving
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3808/tgv.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Activists, Business Leaders -- Not Pilgrims -- Created Americas Thanksgiving' data-article-id='4351'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='5646'>Forget what you learned about the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States.</span> <span data-start-time='5646' data-end-time='15708'>It did not begin with the Pilgrims and Indians in 1621, when English settlers invited Native Americans to dinner.</span> <span data-start-time='15708' data-end-time='24500'>And Abraham Lincoln was not the first U.S. president to call for a national day of Thanksgiving.</span> <span data-start-time='24500' data-end-time='32583'>Instead, says historian Penny Colman, the origins of the holiday are more complex.</span> <span data-start-time='32583' data-end-time='41563'>They are rooted in ancient traditions, one woman’s activism, and political and business interests.</span> <span data-start-time='41563' data-end-time='45833'>Colman wrote the book “Thanksgiving: The True Story.”</span> <span data-start-time='45833' data-end-time='55250'>She explains that people around the world have held harvest festivals and days of thanksgiving for centuries.</span> <span data-start-time='55250' data-end-time='63563'>Usually leaders called for a day of thanksgiving after winning a battle or surviving a difficult time.</span> <span data-start-time='63563' data-end-time='74500'>In 1789, U.S. President George Washington called for a national day of thanksgiving during his first year in office.</span> <span data-start-time='74500' data-end-time='78708'>He did not say anything about Pilgrims and Indians.</span> <span data-start-time='78708' data-end-time='84354'>Instead, he urged Americans to thank God for their new government.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3808/tgv.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=14130 data-hint-location='24500' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3808/what_does_origin_mean.wav'>What does origin mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='source or cause'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3808/traditional_event.wav'><span>traditional event</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3808/source_or_cause.wav'><span>source or cause</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3808/harvest_celebration_.wav'><span>harvest celebration </span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3808/more_complex.wav'><span>more complex</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=14131 data-hint-location='63563' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3808/which_president_called_for_a_day_of_thanksgiving.wav'>Which president called for a day of thanksgiving?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Washington'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3808/lincoln.wav'><span>Lincoln</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3808/jefferson.wav'><span>Jefferson</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3808/roosevelt.wav'><span>Roosevelt</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3808/washington.wav'><span>Washington</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=14132 data-hint-location='24500' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3808/the_origins_of_the_holiday_are__blank_.wav'>The origins of the holiday are <span class='blank'>complex</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='complex'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3808/common.wav'><span>common</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3808/complex.wav'><span>complex</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3808/incomplete.wav'><span>incomplete</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3808/considerable.wav'><span>considerable</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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