Politics
Before the Pilgrims, Floridians celebrated the ‘real’ first Thanksgiving
It’s that time of year when children make cardboard turkeys and draw the Mayflower while we prepare to fill our tables with stuffing and pumpkin pie, the way most imagine the Pilgrims did at the first Thanksgiving in 1621.
But there’s just one catch, according to archaeologists at the Florida Museum of Natural History: The Pilgrims’ Thanksgiving wasn’t the first.
The nation’s real first Thanksgiving took place more than 50 years earlier near the Matanzas River in St. Augustine, Florida, when Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and 800 soldiers, sailors and settlers joined local Native Americans in a feast that followed a Mass of Thanksgiving, according to Kathleen Deagan, distinguished research curator emerita of historical archaeology at the museum, located on the University of Florida campus.
Instead of flat-top hats and oversized buckles, conquistadors wore armor and colonists dressed in 16th-century Spanish garments. There wasn’t any cranberry sauce or pie — not even turkey. Instead, the meal consisted of an assortment of food, from salted pork and red wine shipped from Spain to yucca from the Caribbean, Deagan said.
“The holiday we celebrate today is really something that was invented in a sense,” she said. “By the time the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, the people who settled America’s first colony with Menéndez probably had children and grandchildren living there.”
UF retired history professor Michael Gannon wrote in his influential book on the subject that the event “was the first community act of religion and thanksgiving in the first permanent settlement in the land.”
This little-known chapter of history challenges the traditional Thanksgiving story, reflecting an Anglicized version of history and supporting the view that America’s colonial origins are solely, or at least primarily, British, said Gifford Waters, historical archaeology collection manager at the Florida Museum.
“The fact is, the first colony was a melting pot and the cultural interactions of the many groups of people in the colony were much more like the U.S. is today than the British colonies ever were,” Waters said. “I think the true story of the first Thanksgiving is especially important since there is a growing Hispanic population in the U.S. and the role of the Spanish colony in La Florida is often neglected in the classroom.”
Historical eyewitness accounts describe the first Thanksgiving as a scene marked by diversity, with colonists and local Timucuan people in attendance. More than 400 artifacts left behind by the various cultural groups that made up the first colony are currently on display in the Florida Museum’s exhibit, “First Colony: Our Spanish Origins.”
Waters said the meal probably took place near the mouth of present-day Hospital Creek on the Matanzas River, where today the Mission of Nombre de Dios and the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park — the site of Menéndez’s original encampment and the first colony — are located. The feast followed a Thanksgiving Mass, which Deagan said was a common practice of sailors after a tumultuous expedition.
The 68 days it took Menéndez and his followers to get to Florida’s shore were not easy. After leaving Spain with eight ships, the group arrived in Florida with only four. Half of the original expedition was lost to hurricanes and other hardships.
Of those who made it to Florida, whether in search of riches and improved social standing or new opportunities like owning land, all were probably thankful to be alive and on dry land, Deagan said.
“A Mass and feast of Thanksgiving was the first thing Menéndez did, and he invited all of the local native people who were so curious about them,” she said.
Besides salted pork and red wine, those in attendance ate chickpeas, olives and hard sea biscuits. The meal may also have included Caribbean foods that were probably collected when Menéndez stopped to regroup and resupply at San Juan, Puerto Rico, before continuing to Florida, Deagan said. She said that if the Timucua contributed, it would likely have been with corn, fresh fish, berries or beans.
Archaeologists have not recovered any artifacts or other archaeological data clearly associated with the first Thanksgiving. However, they have found remains of the types of food that would have been eaten, Waters said.
“It is very rare to be able to pin down archaeological remains with a specific event, especially something as ephemeral as a single meal,” he said.
Waters said he hopes spreading word about the original Thanksgiving will spark interest in having a more complete understanding of American history.
Ma de La Luz Mejia Rosas died last month after the 70-year-old suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm on Universal’s Revenge of the Mummy ride, according to a newly released Medical Examiner’s report.
Rosas became unresponsive on Nov. 25 on the indoor roller coaster then passed away two weeks later Dec. 9 at Orlando Regional Medical Center, records showed.
“Mrs. Rosas went to the park to enjoy time with her children and grandchildren, expecting a safe and joyful experience,” lawyer Ben Crump, who is representing her family, said in a statement.
“Instead, her family is now left grieving and searching for answers. They deserve a full understanding of what happened before, during, and after this ride. We intend to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding this tragedy and ensure her family’s voice is heard.”
Crump said he is asking for information about the ride’s operations, safety protocols, maintenance history and data on other incidents.
Universal did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
Rosas’ death was publicly disclosed on a statewide theme park injury report last week.
Florida’s major theme parks are required to self-disclose all visitors’ injuries on rides if the guests were hospitalized for at least 24 hours. The report is publicly released by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, though it contains limited information on what went wrong and about visitors’ condition.
The theme park injury report showed 16 people had been hurt on Revenge of the Mummy since it opened in 2004. Most recently, a 32-year-old woman felt “neck pain/motion sickness” last year. A 60-year-old woman had a seizure in 2017. Other guests reported chest pain, light headedness, feeling nauseous or passing out.
Crump was previously representing the family of a man with disabilities who died in September after riding a roller coaster at Universal’s Epic Universe theme park.
The family and Universal settled out of court in a confidential settlement.
Millions of people visit Orlando’s theme parks every year, and a handful of tragedies occur.
Earlier this month, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against The Boathouse restaurant after a man died from choking on a steak at Disney Springs last year.
Politics
Stacy Hahn files to challenge GOP incumbent Donna Cameron Cepeda in Hillsborough Commission race
Republican Hillsborough County School Board member Stacy Hahn has filed to run for the Hillsborough County Commission, challenging another Republican in a gambit for the countywide District 5 seat.
Hahn, who has served on the Hillsborough County School Board since 2018, announced her candidacy by citing her experience with the School District as evidence of her fiscal responsibility and belief in limited government.
The countywide District 5 seat is currently held by incumbent Republican Commissioner Donna Cameron Cepeda, who won election in 2022 as part of a broader GOP sweep that flipped control of the Hillsborough County Commission.
The race is already drawing significant attention, with well-funded Democratic challenger Neil Manimala also vying to claim the seat. Manimala has a significant lead in funds raised, with his campaign already reporting more than $121,000 compared to $6,000 raised by Cepeda, according to Supervisor of Elections records. Hahn has not yet been required to submit a funding report.
Hahn described herself as a conservative who supports limited government and fiscal discipline, arguing that government is most effective when it empowers individuals, families and businesses rather than expanding bureaucracy.
In a statement, Hahn said her time on the School Board gave her a firsthand view of how county-level decisions affect classrooms, neighborhoods and the local economy, touching on issues such as public safety, infrastructure, housing affordability and budgeting.
“As a School Board member, I worked closely with families, educators, and community partners, and I saw firsthand how county decisions impact our classrooms, neighborhoods, and local economy — from public safety and infrastructure to housing affordability and responsible budgeting,” Hahn said.
“Hillsborough County is a unique and beautiful place with tremendous potential. To unlock that potential, we need common-sense leadership at the County Center — leaders who are focused on improving quality of life for every neighborhood, supporting local businesses, and being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.”
First elected to the School Board in 2018, Hahn has focused her tenure on financial transparency, literacy initiatives, workforce and career pathways, and early childhood education. She has pointed to her oversight of the School District’s roughly $4.4 billion budget and management of the county’s largest employer as preparation for the demands of county government, saying that experience helped her balance budgets, manage growth and deliver results.
Hahn has also been involved in a range of community and nonprofit efforts, including literacy- and STEM-focused programs, according to her campaign materials. She lives in Tampa with her husband, Jeff, their three children, Ethan, Jackson and Aidan, and their dog Rocky.
Hahn said she is “excited about the work ahead and the opportunity to serve.”
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