When we think of Thanksgiving we think of pilgrims and indians. The first Thanksgiving was shared by the colonists with the local native tribe. The people of the Wampanoag Nation brought food and taught them farming in the region. In November of 1621, after a particularly successful corn harvest, both groups of people celebrated the success for three days. This came to be known as the first Thanksgiving, and sadly one of few peaceful interactions between the new arrivals and the Native population.
The second Thanksgiving was celebrated three years later after the end of a drought that threatened all the crops. The governor called for a religious fast - and days later they broke it with a celebratory feast.
From this day on, the colonies each celebrated some from of "thanksgiving" - a feast celebrating the bounty of the harvest. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln called for an annual day of Thanksgiving to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November. Coming at the heels of the Civil War, he called for people to come together and heal as a Nation.