mass genocide

My English teacher is talking about the Puritans and Quakers and the start of America and all I can think about is I have heard this story literally a million times. So, I started wondering about the first time I remember hearing this story. I think I was in first grade and my teacher told us about the pilgrims before Thanksgiving break. The story I heard was that the Pilgrims came over on the Mayflower and were dying because of disease and not knowing how to farm or live in their new environment. They were ill-prepared. Then, this Native American named Squanto came along and showed them how to grow corn. They started to grow food and stopped dying and threw a dinner party for Squanto and his tribe to thank them. Then they were all friends and lived happily ever after.

THAT IS NOT WHAT HAPPENED, WHY WAS I TAUGHT THAT?!

The pilgrims brought over a ton of diseases and it turned into a mass genocide. It stirred mass amounts of racism and hatred that impact our country to this day. I really hope little kids aren’t taught this fake, "sunshine and rainbows" story anymore.

I like the idea of Thanksgiving and a holiday dedicated to being grateful but it's based on false goodness. Maybe we should change it, or at the very least, start telling the real story.