Joshua Eastin Block D 11/28/2018 Open-Note Research Article Similar to the legend of the American Cowboy the fantasy of the first Thanksgiving, often mistaken as fact, is far from the truth. The myth persisted through modern day due to a combination of cultural tradition, political agenda, and corporate influence. There are aspect of the legend which are true; there was a harvest celebration in Plymouth in the 1620’s in which indians from the Wampanoag tribe attended, and it is possible, although unlikely, that turkey was served during the feast. However, this is where the truth deviates from the common story. While there was a celebration the reason for it was not to give thanks, instead it was to celebrate a successful harvest. The New York Times says that this kind of festival wasn’t unique and was a common occurrence. The Wampanoag tribe were likely just neighbors who joined the gathering and weren’t formally invited. The pilgrims at the time were just en