The True Story of Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims Prosperity

My friends,

Every year, this is the episode I look forward to most. I feel this way for several reasons — but one of the main reasons is that I have the privilege of carrying on the tradition of the late, great Rush Limbaugh by telling this story. He used to tell this story every year on the day before Thanksgiving. I loved it — and I hope you do, too.

The true story of Thanksgiving is more than a historical moment — it’s a reminder of who we are, where we came from, and the principles that shaped this great nation. As I revisited the Pilgrims’ journey on today’s show, I found myself reflecting on how deeply their experience continues to speak to the moment we’re living in now.

The Pilgrims weren’t simply adventurers. They were people driven by faith and a desire to worship freely without fear of persecution. They left comfort, familiarity, and safety behind because they believed freedom was worth the risk. When they landed in the New World, they faced brutal conditions, bitter cold, and the loss of half their community during that first devastating winter.

And yet, they pressed on. They endured.

One of the biggest misconceptions about Thanksgiving is that the celebration was mainly about thanking the Native Americans for saving the colonists. While Squanto and the Wampanoag played an important role — and the Pilgrims were grateful — the Pilgrims’ gratitude was directed first and foremost to God. They saw His hand in their survival and in the relationships that sustained them.

But the most overlooked part of the story is what came after that first year.

The Pilgrims lived under a socialist, communal economic system forced on them by their investors. Everything produced went into a common store. Everyone received an equal share regardless of effort. And it failed — miserably.

Bradford recognized that the system didn’t just produce scarcity; it crushed motivation, stoked resentment, and put their survival at risk. So he made a bold decision: each family would receive its own plot of land and be free to enjoy the fruits of its labor.

What followed was prosperity.

Production increased. Incentive returned. Families worked harder because they finally had ownership. That shift — from collective dependence to individual responsibility — laid the groundwork for the prosperity that fueled the second Thanksgiving in 1623.

This is the lesson we dare not lose today.

We live in a moment when the same failed promises of collectivism are being repackaged and sold as fairness, equity, and compassion.

But history is clear: prosperity flows from freedom, not central control. And the Pilgrims learned that truth the hard way.

As we gather around our tables this week, I hope we remember the faith, sacrifice, and courage of those who paved the way for the freedoms we enjoy. May we reclaim that gratitude — not just for the blessings we can see, but for the God who provides them.

Conservative, not bitter.
Todd

🎧 Listen to today’s Toddcast here.

🌾 The Pilgrims’ real motivation for coming to America
❄️ The brutal first winter that cost half their community
🤝 The important role of Squanto
📜 Why socialism nearly destroyed the colony
🌱 How private property unleashed prosperity
🙏 The forgotten meaning behind the second Thanksgiving

Listen here.

My friends, Thanksgiving is here, and I have to tell you, this is my favorite holiday. It’s simple, it’s warm, and it still feels like America. Thanksgiving is about gratitude, great food, family, a little football, and a wonderful story we can all learn from.

Every year on this program, I retell the true story of Thanksgiving. I first heard it from Rush Limbaugh more than 25 years ago. He shared it every Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and carrying on that tradition means a great deal to me.

I hope you’ll take time to hear the full story, and to celebrate this holiday with the people you love. I’m thankful for you, our listeners, our stations, our advertisers, and above all, to God for His blessings and for redeeming my soul through Jesus Christ.

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends.

There will be no newsletter tomorrow or Friday. We’ll be back on Monday.

I shared this in yesterday’s newsletter, but it’s simply too important to mention only once. The Radical Left is playing the long game with redistricting, and if we don’t pay attention, they’ll reshape political power right out from under us.

Whether you’re a fellow Hoosier or a freedom-loving friend from another great American state, this issue affects you. Redistricting isn’t just paperwork. It’s about who holds real, legitimate political power — and whether that power is used to protect liberty or surrender it.

Take a moment to read the letter. Then share it. Our future depends on informed patriots who are willing to stand up and get engaged.

As we head into Thanksgiving, I want to pause and say thank you. Thank you to our listeners, readers, subscribers, fans, radio stations, and advertisers. You make this show possible. You make the work meaningful. You remind us every day that there are still millions of Americans who love truth, value freedom, and refuse to bow to the cultural chaos around us.

We’re also grateful to live in the greatest nation on earth. America isn’t perfect, but she’s still a place where we can flourish if we steadfastly adhere to the truths we have learned.

And above all, we’re grateful to God. Grateful that He didn’t leave us in our sin. Grateful that He sent Jesus to redeem us. Grateful that every good and perfect gift — from our families to our freedoms — comes from Him.

We hope your Thanksgiving is filled with peace, hope, and the people you love most.

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends.