It's common knowledge that in 1621 the first Thanksgiving was celebrated at Plymouth. But some say the “real” first Thanksgiving took place more than 20 years earlier near present-day El Paso, when at least 400 Spaniards feasted with the Mansos tribe.
A painting by Jose Cisneros depicting what some say was the first Thanksgiving celebration in North America, when Spanish colonists broke bread with the Mansos, a tribe native to the present-day El Paso area.But some say the “real” first Thanksgiving took place more than 20 years earlier near present-day El Paso, when at least 400 Spaniards, in an exploration led by Juan de Oñate, feasted with the Mansos tribe.
The seeds of Oñate’s expedition were planted a few years before the feast. Oñate was born into wealth and plied his trade for years as a silver miner near his hometown of Zacatecas throughout his 20s, meanwhile helping establish smaller missions in the area. Because of his experience as both a prospector and, as he saw it, a capable amateur conquistador, he began petitioning the King Philip II for permission to explore, Catholicize and colonize Nuevo Mexico.
Ten days later on April 30, 1598, Oñate decided to celebrate both the near scrape with death in the desert and the party’s arrival at San Elizario. However, the – an announcement that staked Spain’s claim on the Rio Grande and all its tributaries, marking the inauguration of Spain’s more than 200-year reign over what would become Texas and much of the southwest.
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