Like most of you, I learned about the Pilgrims in grade school, studying their first few years battling the harsh elements, disease, and Indian incursions. I especially remember reading about Squanto teaching the newcomers how to plant corn with fish as a natural fertilizer. But it has been some decades since I was in grade school, so this year, I decided it was time for a refresh on this particular chapter of our history. I have been watching Hillsdale College’s new, free 6-part series Colonial America: From Wilderness to Civilization, which I am really enjoying and highly recommend to you.
From an adult’s perspective, the story of the Pilgrims’ journey is far more profound. Driven by remarkable religious conviction, they braved the peril of the Atlantic Ocean and the uncertainty and dangers of an unforgiving wilderness to build a new life for themselves and their children. By the time they celebrated that first Thanksgiving—one brutal winter and one prosperous summer after their arrival—they were battered and bruised.
Only about 50 had survived the first harsh winter.
Thanksgiving was a celebration of their survival, and they had a long road ahead. This year, we celebrate Thanksgiving at a time of great turmoil in our nation. We have been engaged in an increasingly naked war for the life and soul of our country for a decade, but in recent years, our peril has become more obvious. The four years we suffered under Biden displayed the terrifying lengths to which the deep state and the Left will go to maintain power and silence dissent, and Trump’s victory in November did not end the fight. On September 10th, Charlie Kirk was assassinated, reminding us with shocking clarity how brutal the stakes truly are.
Despite the storm that continues to rage, we can see God’s merciful hand at work. On July 13th last year, an assassin’s bullet grazed President Trump’s ear, coming a hair’s breadth from shattering his skull. Like many of you, I believe that President Trump’s life was spared by the merciful hand of God. God chose to demonstrate to us in a very visible way his continued hand of protection on our nation, and we should take great hope and energy from that reality. Like the Pilgrims on that first Thanksgiving, we have a lot of work ahead, but God has demonstrated very clearly that He is still walking with us. He is not done with America, and we must continue to fight for her, too.
This year, I am thankful for a host of personal blessings, chief among them the beautiful twin boys—Kevin and Charles—that God blessed our little family with this year. But a close second is the opportunity I have just been given to walk in Phyllis Schlafly’s footsteps in a very special way as I lead her Eagle Forum Education & Legal as President. Phyllis was known as a “happy warrior,” and if she were alive, she would face uncertain and sometimes violent days with calm faith and steady perseverance. She remains a shining example and inspiration for our work ahead.
All of us at Eagle Forum Education & Legal thank you for you for being part of the movement that seeks to save America and for your ongoing support of the work that we do. We have a lot planned for 2026, and I hope to meet many of you as we roll out our new initiatives! May God bless you and your families on this uniquely American holiday, as He surely continues to bless America.
Faithfully,
Molly McCann Sanders
President
Eagle Forum Education & Legal
