However, was it simply due to the loss of historical evidence for Virginia's first Thanksgiving that Thanksgiving is now associated with the Massachusetts Pilgrims? Perhaps, but there might be some other reasons. For example, in a Winter 2007 article in the Colonial Williamsburg Journal, James Axtell notes that:
From the Revolution to late in the nineteenth century, New England was the arbiter, standard, and primary source of American culture. Its poets, novelists, orators, historians, and textbook writers saw to it that Plymouth became and remained America's "first" and best-known colony.
In light of this, perhaps it is not surprising that the Plymouth Pilgrims were credited with celebrating the first Thanksgiving.
Nevertheless, there might be another, somewhat ironic reason why Virginia's first Thanksgiving receives relatively little notice by most Americans. According to Graham Woodlief, president of the Virginia Thanksgiving Festival, who is quoted in the Blitz article, Virginia's Thanksgiving might have seemed less appealing due to its emphasis on prayer rather than feasting--even though "most Thanksgivings in the early days were religious services, not meals."
So, there you have it--Virginia's first Thanksgiving has never captured Americans' imagination because it was too religious! This is somewhat ironic given that some Christians nowadays lament the fact that the religious aspect of the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth are downplayed in our culture. I think they are right to express such concerns, but I wonder whether they realize that what was arguably the first Thanksgiving in America (at least for this Virginian!) was simply that--an act of giving thanks to God.
Image of the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth, Massachusetts from Wikimedia Commons