Counterwave Radio

The Real Story of Thanksgiving: Guns, Germs, and PR

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In this eye-opening episode of Counterwave Radio, Neils, BobbySox, and Bill take a sledgehammer to the construction paper turkeys of our youth to dismantle the sanitized myths surrounding Thanksgiving.

We’re looking past the pumpkin spice to find the gritty reality of 1621. The team explores the true history of the event, focusing on the apocalyptic plague that wiped out 90% of the Wampanoag tribe at Patuxet and the desperate diplomatic maneuvering of Ousamequin (Massasoit) that actually brought the two sides together.

We also look at how this narrative was manufactured centuries later—first by magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale, and then cemented as national propaganda by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 to unify a war-torn nation. Finally, we debate how to balance this heavy historical truth with the modern need for connection, gratitude, and survival at the family dinner table.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

  • The "First Thanksgiving" Was a Diplomatic Summit: It wasn't a potluck; it was a tense gathering where Ousamequin brought 90 armed warriors to investigate gunshots fired by the Pilgrims.
  • The Great Dying: Between 1616 and 1619, an epidemic (likely leptospirosis) decimated the coastal New England population, leaving the village of Patuxet empty for the Pilgrims to occupy.
  • Squanto’s True Story: Far from a happy volunteer, Tisquantum was a survivor of slavery and genocide who acted as a translator because it was his only option for survival in a world where his people were gone.
  • The Invention of the Holiday: The modern holiday is a 19th-century invention. We discuss Lincoln’s political use of the holiday during the Civil War and FDR’s controversial rescheduling of the date in 1939 to extend the holiday shopping season.
  • Navigating the Table: The hosts discuss "Education Wars" and the importance of teaching complex history rather than comfortable myths, while Bill argues for maintaining peace during the actual dinner.

    • Turbo’s Turkey Tips (How to Survive the Kitchen)

    Our resident culinary anarchist, Turbo, drops in to fix your menu with science:

    • Radicalize the Bird: Stop roasting whole turkeys. Spatchcock them (remove the backbone) to cut cooking time in half.
    • End the "Salmonella Jacuzzi": Stop wet-brining. Use a dry brine (salt) two days in advance for better osmosis and less kitchen contamination.
    • Inclusive Sides: Switch to vegetable or mushroom stock for stuffing and potatoes so you don't alienate the vegetarians.
    • The Filibuster: Let the meat rest for 30-40 minutes before carving. Use this time to distract your relatives with appetizers.

      • Coming Up Next Week

      We are heading into "The Season." Tune in next time for "Unboxing the Holiday: Capitalism, Loneliness, and the Myth of the 'Perfect' Season," where we discuss how consumerism captured the winter months and the pressure to perform happiness.

      Chapters

      00:00 The Real Story of Thanksgiving: Guns, Germs, and PR

      00:53 Setting the Real Stage for 1621 01:39 The Wampanoag Perspective

      03:26 The True Story of the First Thanksgiving

      05:16 The Manufactured Myth

      09:37 Thanksgiving and Capitalism

      16:43 Modern Thanksgiving: Balancing Tradition and Truth

      23:12 Turbo's Turkey Tips

      31:33 Black Friday's Black Magic

      35:54 The Three Rs of Black Friday Prep

      40:15 Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes

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