what did they serve at the first thanksgiving

Historians rely on two primary accounts from 1621 describing the feast between Pilgrims and Wampanoag: Edward Winslow's Mourt's Relation and William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation. These confirm venison, wildfowl (like ducks, geese, and passenger pigeons), and corn (as nasaump porridge or bread), with seafood such as cod, bass, and possibly lobsters or mussels also likely given local abundance.

Confirmed Foods

The menu centered on hunted and foraged items shared over three days in late autumn:

• Venison : Five deer brought by the Wampanoag, roasted or stewed as a centerpiece.

• Wildfowl : Abundant birds, numbering dozens, providing variety in a stew or roasted whole.

• Corn (Maize) : Native "flint" corn ground into porridge or bread—no sweet corn on the cob.

• Seafood : Local fish like bass and cod, plus shellfish; eels were common but not confirmed.

Likely Additions

Pumpkins and squash existed but were stewed savory-style, without pies (no ovens, flour, or sugar). Beans from the "Three Sisters" crops may have thickened stews. No turkey is explicitly mentioned, though wild ones roamed nearby—no mashed potatoes, cranberries, or yams either.

Modern Myths Busted

No pie or desserts : Pumpkins were boiled into a thick "pompion" gravy, maybe with vinegar.

No turkey centerpiece : Possible, but venison and fowl dominated eyewitness records.

No potatoes : Introduced to Europe post-1621, absent in Americas for Pilgrims.

Cultural Context

The Wampanoag contributed venison and corn expertise, turning a Pilgrim harvest into a diplomatic feast amid tense alliances. Imagine stewed fowl with corn mush under flickering fires—no tables, just shared trenchers. This 1621 event, not a formal "Thanksgiving," inspired later traditions under Lincoln in 1863.

TL;DR : Venison, wildfowl, corn, and seafood headlined; skip the pie and potatoes for authenticity.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.