The historical record regarding the 1621 harvest celebration in Plymouth reveals a gathering far different from the modern holiday imagery of uniform tables and nuclear families. Even so, How many people attended the first Thanksgiving is a question that requires peeling back layers of myth to uncover a complex diplomatic event involving roughly 50 English colonists and approximately 90 Wampanoag men. This three-day feast was not a solemn religious observance but a secular harvest celebration rooted in survival, political alliance, and the shared relief of a successful growing season Worth keeping that in mind..
The Historical Context: Survival and Alliance
To understand the attendance figures, one must first understand the precarious state of the Plymouth Colony in the autumn of 1621. The Mayflower had arrived in December 1620, carrying 102 passengers. The first winter was devastating; disease, exposure, and malnutrition claimed the lives of nearly half the original settlers. By the time the harvest rolled around in 1621, only about 50 colonists remained alive to reap the benefits of their labor.
Easier said than done, but still worth knowing.
These survivors included men, women, and children. Which means key figures like Governor William Bradford, Edward Winslow, Myles Standish, and William Brewster were present, alongside the four married women who survived the winter—Eleanor Billington, Elizabeth Hopkins, Mary Brewster, and Susanna White Winslow—along with numerous children and servants. Their survival was largely due to the assistance of the Wampanoag people, specifically the sachem (leader) Massasoit (Ousamequin) and the Patuxet man Tisquantum (Squanto), who taught the colonists essential agricultural techniques, including the planting of corn with fish fertilizer.
The celebration was precipitated by a successful harvest. Governor Bradford declared a time of "rejoicing" after the crops were gathered. It was during this period of recreation—likely involving military drills and games—that the Wampanoag arrived, transforming a small English gathering into a major diplomatic summit.
The English Attendees: A Decimated Company
Primary source documentation for the event is remarkably scarce, relying almost entirely on two paragraphs: one from Edward Winslow’s Mourt’s Relation (1622) and a brief mention in William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation. Winslow provides the most specific demographic breakdown for the English side Easy to understand, harder to ignore..
"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors... And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty."
From the passenger list of the Mayflower and subsequent death records, historians have reconstructed the likely roster of the 50 to 53 English attendees.
Adult Men (approx. 22): This group included the colony’s leadership and laborers. Notable names include:
- Governor William Bradford
- Edward Winslow (the chronicler)
- Myles Standish (military leader)
- William Brewster (religious elder)
- Isaac Allerton
- John Alden
- Stephen Hopkins
- Francis Cooke
- Peter Browne
- Richard Warren
- Plus hired men and servants like John Howland (formerly a servant, now a freeman) and the ship’s cooper, John Alden.
Adult Women (4): Only four adult women survived the first winter to attend the feast. They bore the immense burden of cooking for the massive assembly.
- Eleanor Billington
- Elizabeth Hopkins
- Mary Brewster
- Susanna White Winslow (recently widowed, remarried to Edward Winslow earlier in 1621)
Children and Adolescents (approx. 25+): Children made up a significant portion of the surviving population. They included:
- Remember Allerton, Mary Allerton, Bartholomew Allerton
- Giles Hopkins, Constance Hopkins, Damaris Hopkins, Oceanus Hopkins (born on the voyage)
- Samuel Fuller (son of Edward Fuller)
- Joseph Rogers
- Priscilla Mullins
- John Billington Jr., Francis Billington
- Resolved White, Peregrine White (born on the Mayflower in Cape Cod harbor)
- Love Brewster, Wrestling Brewster
This demographic skew—heavy on men and children, light on women—highlights the brutal gender disparity of the first winter’s mortality rate Nothing fancy..
The Wampanoag Attendees: A Diplomatic Delegation
The arrival of the Wampanoag is described by Winslow with a striking lack of precise numbers, stating simply: "many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men."
The phrase "some ninety men" is the primary source for the Indigenous headcount. On the flip side, historians urge caution in interpreting this figure And that's really what it comes down to..
Massasoit and the Leadership: Massasoit (Ousamequin) was the sachem of the Wampanoag Confederacy. His attendance was a calculated political move. The Wampanoag had been decimated by an epidemic (likely leptospirosis or smallpox) between 1616 and 1619, losing up to 90% of their population in some villages. This depopulation left them vulnerable to their rivals, the Narragansett to the west. An alliance with the English—possessors of gunpowder and metal tools—was a strategic necessity for Massasoit.
The "Ninety Men": Warriors or Families? Winslow specifies "ninety men." In 17th-century English military parlance, "men" often implied fighting-age males or warriors. It is highly probable that this was not a family picnic for the Wampanoag, but a show of force. Arriving with 90 armed warriors signaled strength to the English, ensuring the treaty negotiated earlier that year (the Treaty of 1621) was respected And it works..
While Wampanoag women and children may have been present in the periphery—processing food, setting up wetus (homes), or observing—the English chroniclers, focused on military and political headcounts, did not record them. That's why, the total Indigenous presence may have been higher than 90 if families accompanied the delegation, but the recorded diplomatic contingent stands at roughly 90 men plus Massasoit and his immediate counselors (like his brother Quadequina).
The Dynamics of the Three Days
The event lasted three days, a duration that suggests a formal diplomatic conference rather than a single meal. The attendance fluctuated during this period.
Food Contributions: The logistics of feeding 140+ people for three days required massive resources. Winslow notes the English sent four men "fowling" who brought back enough waterfowl (ducks, geese, perhaps swan or passenger pigeons) to last a week. Crucially, the Wampanoag contributed five deer. Venison was a high-status protein, and the gift of five deer by Massasoit was a potent symbol of generosity and political equality. The menu also included the harvest staples: corn (maize) prepared as nasaump (a thick porridge) or bread, squash, beans, and possibly shellfish (clams, mussels, lobster) and eels from the nearby waters.
Activities: The "rejoicing" involved more than eating. Winslow
