The first episode of the PBS program, "We Shall Remain: After the Mayflower" was very interesting. It is a documentary that showcased the initial contact between Wampanoag Indians and colonists in Plymouth in 1620. It was a real eye-opening episode, in regards to the history being reenacted and the misconstrued truth behind what took place. It was really cool to see relationships being developed and then how conflicts came about. I never really considered all the behind the scenes history that took place that entitled the creation of Thanksgiving. The change of power between the Europeans and the Wampanoag was appealing as well.
The struggle between peace and tension was the main theme throughout. Initially, the tribe wanted to fight the incoming settlers, but the chief saw this as a possible advantage of working together. As a result, the tribe became fine with sharing the land and hoped to make allies to defend against enemy tribes. However, the settlers weren’t in good shape either, which caused for a fair amount of struggle. The two coexisted for a few years, until religious beliefs and overpopulation caused an invasion and essentially trouble. Europeans felt that they were more superior to the Indians, which caused the most conflict. The real story of Thanksgiving is a depressing account of what I previously thought, but sometimes the truth hurts.
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