How did pumpkin pie get associated with Thanksgiving? ASK THE HORT AGENT
Question How did pumpkin pie get associated with Thanksgiving?
Answer The pumpkin pie/Thanksgiving association is a combination of conspiracy and evolution. Every American knows the story of the Pilgrims and Indians having the “first” Thanksgiving in 1621. Well, this is proof of the conspiracy.
During the 1840s, historian Alexander Young rediscovered the story of the Pilgrim feast. Americans were not interested in this story during the 1840s because it showed Pilgrims and Indians originally living in harmony and eating pumpkins. By the 1890s, all the Indians had been either killed or placed on reservations. With the Indians under control, Americans conspired to tell a blissful story of all Americans getting along.
The popularization of the Pilgrim Thanksgiving also served another purpose during the late 1800s and early 1900s. This story was used to help assimilate immigrants into the United States. Industries like the Ford Motor Company conducted “Americanization” classes for their employees. These classes included information about the Pilgrims. Employees even reenacted scenes in American history, including the landing of the Pilgrims.
As far as evolution, pies have a most interesting history. Like everything else, the first recorded history of making pies comes from Egypt. The Greeks later perfected them and the Romans spread them all over Europe. Of course, the Europeans took them to extreme.
In the early 1600s, the Duke of Burgundy's chef made an immense pie which opened to the strains of 28 musicians playing from within the pie. Out of the pie came a captive girl representing the "captive" Church in the Middle East. In 1621, a pie was presented to King Charles I by the Duke of Buckingham. This pie contained the famous 17th century dwarf, Jeffrey Hudson. Jeffrey jumped out of the pie and lived with the King for the next 18 years.
The Pilgrims made pumpkin pie by filling a hollowed out pumpkin shell with milk, honey and spices, then baking it in hot ashes. The first truly American cookbook was written and published in 1796. American Cookery, by Amelia Simmons, was the first cookbook that developed recipes for foods native to America. Her pumpkin puddings were baked in a crust very similar to present day pumpkin pies.
While eating your pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving, be thankful you are an American and not sipping milk from a pumpkin shell. For more info about pie history, visit http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/PieHistory.htm If you do not have access to the internet, then call the Extension Office at 893-7533 or email me at gpierce@harnett.org
In the early 1900s, an architect named Stanford White revived the Duke of Buckingham stunt for Diamond Jim Brady. Instead of a little person, Mr. White used a naked lady. Although this was a dinner that Diamond Jim loved to recall, the trend never caught on for Thanksgiving.
Gary L. Pierce
Horticulture Extension Agent
Harnett County | 
