Thanksgiving Discussion for your more Liberal guests

Ryan Maue
@RyanMaue

When you're enjoying turkey w/your more liberal relatives, tell them that the first Thanksgivings during early 17th Century were greatly affected by climate change, and led to the events in the Crucible.

Tip: You can start the conversation with "well actually, Barb"

The Little Ice Age brought very cold conditions to the North Atlantic region just as Pilgrims crossed to the New World in the early 1600s.

Why? Lower solar activity (Maunder Minimum) and major volcanic eruptions cooled the Northern Hemisphere by 2 °C, shortening growing seasons and increasing storminess. More/worse hurricanes in a colder Atlantic ... (bet you didn't know that, Barb).

(Aside: discuss the massive "climate fueled" hurricane that led to settlement of Bermuda by Jamestown relief expedition)

Little Ice Age cold or "climate shock"

Roanoke struggled in the late 1580s,

Jamestown endured the deadly “Starving Time” winter of 1609–1610 with 80 % mortality,

Half the Mayflower passengers died in the harsh 1620–1621 winter. Very harsh!

Shorter growing seasons due to climate change of -2°C (pre-industrial by definition)

--> Repeated crop failures from late spring and early fall frosts forced colonists to abandon Old World wheat for Native corn and rye. Locals helped teach them corn

Brutal --> during coldest phase of the Little Ice Age (1680–1730), renewed harvest failures and economic stress in New England contributed to heightened social tension.

Climate change directly led to the 1692 Salem witch trials.

--> America’s earliest history was thus shaped by a prolonged, natural episode of global cooling and the adaptation, and even some witchcraft.