What do you think about when you think of America's history? Wanna know what I think about? FOOD. But this isn't just me blabbering about food. Did you know that food has an interesting connection with history and not only can it help illustrate important stages of American history in particular, it can show how cultures can come together. Who knew that something as delicious as food could help explain something as interesting (or let's face it, as boring) as history. Let me first show you want I mean with a little history of America's past.

America as we know it today doesn't exactly have any true roots of its own. Looking at it's past, America is a collaboration of different nations, it encompasses a plethora of different roots. There's the many different European nations, diverse African tribes, and later, nations from Asia and  basically everywhere South of North America. Also, something a lot of people don't think about or commonly forget about is the deeply intricate Native American societies that already existed on North American land too. It started from the food gatherings and cultivation methods of these native peoples; to America's successive waves of European and African colonial and immigrant populations; and 20th-century revolutions that have all helped to shape our culinary heritage. These nations came together in what it is now called America, and amongst other things, created this extravagant American food culture. 

One of the most famous and commonly used examples of how food has brought cultures together in America is the good ol first Thanksgiving meal. America's first European colonists encountered a continent already peopled with native food cultures and traditions, but they brought their European tastes and food conventions with them. What did this create? A beautiful and absolutely yummy meal that is still celebrated to this day. As a child I would sometimes wonder why we ate the things we ate on Thanksgiving day. It goes from ham and turkey to mashed potatoes to vegetables and pumpkin pies. These diverse courses in the traditional Thanksgiving meal show how the Europeans and Native Americans brought their foods together to share a meal at the same table, despite their differences. This is why I  believe the concept of the United States being made up of the flags of different nations does a good job of illustrating the different cultures coming together, like in the picture I posted up at the very top. However, a problem is posed by the question of whether or not America is viewed as a melting pot or salad bowl. Stay tuned to see what I mean!