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The First Official Thanksgiving

A re-enactment of the Englishmen coming ashore on the banks of the James River in Virginia in 1619.
Courtesy of WCVE
/
Courtesy of WCVE
A re-enactment of the Englishmen coming ashore on the banks of the James River in Virginia in 1619.

Friday, Nov. 25, 2022 at 11 a.m. on KPBS 2 / Stream now with PBS App

"The First Official Thanksgiving" tells the story of what some historians might call the first “official, English-speaking” Thanksgiving held in the Americas.

Through dramatic re-enactment and interviews from Graham Woodlief, a descendant of Capt. John Woodlief, Karla K. Bruno, author and biographer of Dr. Lyon Tyler, Chief Stephen Adkins of the Chickahominy Tribe, and several other individuals, the film challenges the long-held belief that America's first Thanksgiving was held in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and chronicles how the discovery of the Nibley papers led to a friendly rivalry between Virginia and Massachusetts about who can rightfully lay claim to the birth of America's Thanksgiving holiday.

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The First Official Thanksgiving

Distributed by American Public Television