4+ day, 9+ hour ago (721+ words) By modern standards, the people who created Thanksgiving didn't have much to be thankful for. They practiced gratitude anyway. Think about the Pilgrims. The Separatists originally fled England to avoid religious persecution. Years later, they decided to leave the Netherlands for the New World. One of their ships, the Speedwell, wasn't even seaworthy. The colonists all journeyed on the Mayflower. It was a brutal trip. The 102 passengers generally lived below decks. They ate hardtack biscuits and some dried meat. "These lower decks were very cramped, cold and wet, with low ceilings no more than 5 feet tall," Conrad Humphreys, a professional sailor, told History.com. "And all around you, people are getting seasick." They lived like that for months. They didn't have a smooth arrival. The winds drove them farther north than they intended. They eventually settled in what is now…...