--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I confess that my first reaction was a…" description: "\"“I confess that my first reaction was a self-righteous astonishment that any group could so disfigure the past after its own image, but I did not know ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/robert-tracy-mckenzie-46631_thanksgiving_i-confess-that-my-first-reaction-was-a-s_1132932.jpg" --- # I confess that my first reaction was a self-righteous… ![“I confess that my first reaction was a self-righteous astonishment that any group could so disfigure the past after its own image, but I did not know then what I have learned since: First Parish Church is but one example of a longstanding American tradition of remembering both the Pilgrims and the…” quote by Robert Tracy McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/robert-tracy-mckenzie-46631_thanksgiving_i-confess-that-my-first-reaction-was-a-s_1132932.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/robert-tracy-mckenzie-46631_thanksgiving_i-confess-that-my-first-reaction-was-a-s_1132932.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/robert-tracy-mckenzie-46631_thanksgiving_i-confess-that-my-first-reaction-was-a-s_1132932.jpg) > ““I confess that my first reaction was a self-righteous astonishment that any group could so disfigure the past after its own image, but I did not know then what I have learned since: First Parish Church is but one example of a longstanding American tradition of remembering both the Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving in self-serving ways.”” [Robert Tracy McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-tracy-mckenzie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques how groups rewrite history to serve current identities, using First Parish Church as an example of selective remembrance of Pilgrims and Thanksgiving. **In simple terms:** People reshape history for self‑interest. Key Takeaway Question aware of biased narratives. Themes history memory identity politics culture Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - museum curation - education - public discourse - heritage preservation - political rhetoric Key Concepts revisionism collective memory national myth Questions to Reflect On - How does selective memory shape community values? - What responsibilities do institutions have in preserving accurate history? A Different Perspective Historical reinterpretation can erase marginalized voices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Pilgrims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pilgrims/) [Thanksgiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thanksgiving/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [The task of the church, for example, becomes less that of indoctrinating or relating people to an external divine power and more that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-task-of-the-church-for-example-becomes-less-that-of/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Pilgrims came to America not to accumulate riches but to worship God, and the greatest wealth they left unborn generations was their heroic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-moyle-tippett/the-pilgrims-came-to-america-not-to-accumulate-riches-but-to-worship/) Harry Moyle Tippett > [“Reviewing how American memory of the Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving has changed over time exposes our fundamental self-centeredness, for we see how readily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-tracy-mckenzie/reviewing-how-american-memory-of-the-pilgrims-and-the-first/) [Robert Tracy McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-tracy-mckenzie/) > [“The pilgrims continue to come. Only God knows what each one of us brings, and with what kind of heart. We come mystically to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-basil-pennington/the-pilgrims-continue-to-come-only-god-knows-what-each-one-of-us/) M. Basil Pennington > [In dreams we stand in this great democracy of the possible and there we are right pilgrims indeed. There we go forth to meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/in-dreams-we-stand-in-this-great-democracy-of-the-possible-and-there/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [Next to of course god America i / love you land of the pilgrims and so forth oh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/next-to-of-course-god-america-i-love-you-land-of-the-pilgrims-and-so/) [e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/) > [We are all pilgrims on an elusive and endless road... Despite our attempts to build lives on stone foundations, our spirits continuously flow. Endless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-lawlor/we-are-all-pilgrims-on-an-elusive-and-endless-road-despite-our/) [Anthony Lawlor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-lawlor/) > [Politics is like navigation in a sea without charts, and wise men live the lives of pilgrims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-cary/politics-is-like-navigation-in-a-sea-without-charts-and-wise-men-live/) [Joyce Cary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-cary/) > [“Far out on the desert to the north dustspouts rose wobbling and augered the earth and some said they'd heard of pilgrims borne aloft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/far-out-on-the-desert-to-the-north-dustspouts-rose-wobbling-and/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Pilgrims were people glad to take off their clothing, which was on fire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-carson/pilgrims-were-people-glad-to-take-off-their-clothing-which-was-on-fire/) [Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-carson/) > [Pilgrims travel to Jerusalem to see the Holy Land, and the foundations of their faith. People go to Washington, D.C. to see the workings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-paisley/pilgrims-travel-to-jerusalem-to-see-the-holy-land-and-the-foundations/) [Brad Paisley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-paisley/) > [“In the truest sense, Christian pilgrims have the best of both worlds. We have joy whenever this world reminds us of the next, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/in-the-truest-sense-christian-pilgrims-have-the-best-of-both-worlds/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [It is imperative that the past of the pilgrims' progress be intentionally carried forward into the present as we work into our future. Without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-richard-niebuhr/it-is-imperative-that-the-past-of-the-pilgrims-progress-be/) [H. Richard Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-richard-niebuhr/) > [“Overcome and sobbing, the young woman sank down before the cross at the side of the road, where thousands of pilgrims had lain and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigrid-undset/overcome-and-sobbing-the-young-woman-sank-down-before-the-cross-at/) [Sigrid Undset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigrid-undset/) > [“Many members of that early band of twentieth-century pilgrims must have yearned for the honesty of Southern landscapes where even if they were the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/many-members-of-that-early-band-of-twentieth-century-pilgrims-must/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) ## More by Robert Tracy McKenzie > [“Reviewing how American memory of the Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving has changed over time exposes our fundamental self-centeredness, for we see how readily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-tracy-mckenzie/reviewing-how-american-memory-of-the-pilgrims-and-the-first/) [Robert Tracy McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-tracy-mckenzie/) > [“Separatists were convinced, and to remain in submission to such a “popish device” would be sin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-tracy-mckenzie/separatists-were-convinced-and-to-remain-in-submission-to-such-a/) [Robert Tracy McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-tracy-mckenzie/) > [“It was here that the Scrooby faithful began to exhibit what one historian, with only slight exaggeration, calls “an extraordinary talent for getting duped.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-tracy-mckenzie/it-was-here-that-the-scrooby-faithful-began-to-exhibit-what-one/) [Robert Tracy McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-tracy-mckenzie/) > [“Our historical pursuits should seek meaning as well as understanding, wisdom as well as knowledge. They should center on two pivotal questions: What can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-tracy-mckenzie/our-historical-pursuits-should-seek-meaning-as-well-as-understanding/) [Robert Tracy McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-tracy-mckenzie/) > [“The Pilgrims thought of liberty as the freedom to do what is right, not to decide what is right. In their view, the persecution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-tracy-mckenzie/the-pilgrims-thought-of-liberty-as-the-freedom-to-do-what-is-right/) [Robert Tracy McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-tracy-mckenzie/) > [“More of us concede that history can be entertaining, and we’re even willing to “watch some history” on TV whenever nothing better is on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-tracy-mckenzie/more-of-us-concede-that-history-can-be-entertaining-and-we-re-even/) [Robert Tracy McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-tracy-mckenzie/) > [“First, under “the gross darkness of popery,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-tracy-mckenzie/first-under-the-gross-darkness-of-popery/) [Robert Tracy McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-tracy-mckenzie/) [Explore all 8 Robert Tracy McKenzie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-tracy-mckenzie/) ## More Pilgrims quotes > [We are all pilgrims on an elusive and endless road... Despite our attempts to build lives on stone foundations, our spirits continuously flow. Endless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-lawlor/we-are-all-pilgrims-on-an-elusive-and-endless-road-despite-our/) [Anthony Lawlor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-lawlor/) > [Pilgrims travel to Jerusalem to see the Holy Land, and the foundations of their faith. People go to Washington, D.C. to see the workings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-paisley/pilgrims-travel-to-jerusalem-to-see-the-holy-land-and-the-foundations/) [Brad Paisley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-paisley/) > [“The pilgrims continue to come. Only God knows what each one of us brings, and with what kind of heart. We come mystically to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-basil-pennington/the-pilgrims-continue-to-come-only-god-knows-what-each-one-of-us/) M. Basil Pennington > [“Overcome and sobbing, the young woman sank down before the cross at the side of the road, where thousands of pilgrims had lain and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigrid-undset/overcome-and-sobbing-the-young-woman-sank-down-before-the-cross-at/) [Sigrid Undset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigrid-undset/) > [It is imperative that the past of the pilgrims' progress be intentionally carried forward into the present as we work into our future. Without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-richard-niebuhr/it-is-imperative-that-the-past-of-the-pilgrims-progress-be/) [H. Richard Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-richard-niebuhr/) > [“In the truest sense, Christian pilgrims have the best of both worlds. We have joy whenever this world reminds us of the next, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/in-the-truest-sense-christian-pilgrims-have-the-best-of-both-worlds/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [“Many members of that early band of twentieth-century pilgrims must have yearned for the honesty of Southern landscapes where even if they were the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/many-members-of-that-early-band-of-twentieth-century-pilgrims-must/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“Pilgrims were people glad to take off their clothing, which was on fire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-carson/pilgrims-were-people-glad-to-take-off-their-clothing-which-was-on-fire/) [Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-carson/) > [“Far out on the desert to the north dustspouts rose wobbling and augered the earth and some said they'd heard of pilgrims borne aloft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/far-out-on-the-desert-to-the-north-dustspouts-rose-wobbling-and/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [Politics is like navigation in a sea without charts, and wise men live the lives of pilgrims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-cary/politics-is-like-navigation-in-a-sea-without-charts-and-wise-men-live/) [Joyce Cary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-cary/) > [The Pilgrims came to America not to accumulate riches but to worship God, and the greatest wealth they left unborn generations was their heroic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-moyle-tippett/the-pilgrims-came-to-america-not-to-accumulate-riches-but-to-worship/) Harry Moyle Tippett > [Next to of course god America i / love you land of the pilgrims and so forth oh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/next-to-of-course-god-america-i-love-you-land-of-the-pilgrims-and-so/) [e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/) > [In dreams we stand in this great democracy of the possible and there we are right pilgrims indeed. There we go forth to meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/in-dreams-we-stand-in-this-great-democracy-of-the-possible-and-there/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [Courage you have, and the knowledge that we are all pilgrims together, wending through unknown country, home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/courage-you-have-and-the-knowledge-that-we-are-all-pilgrims-together/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Like so many pilgrims before us, we kneel in wonder and adoration before the ineffable mystery which. was accomplished here... In This Child -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/like-so-many-pilgrims-before-us-we-kneel-in-wonder-and-adoration/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) [Browse all 117 Pilgrims quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pilgrims/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I confess that my first reaction was a self-righteous astonishment that any group could so disfigure the past after its own image, but I did not know then what I have learned since: First Parish Church is but one example of a longstanding American tradition of remembering both the Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving in self-serving ways.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Tracy McKenzie" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-tracy-mckenzie/i-confess-that-my-first-reaction-was-a-self-righteous-astonishment/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Pilgrims" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-tracy-mckenzie/i-confess-that-my-first-reaction-was-a-self-righteous-astonishment/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/robert-tracy-mckenzie-46631_thanksgiving_i-confess-that-my-first-reaction-was-a-s_1132932.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/robert-tracy-mckenzie-46631_thanksgiving_i-confess-that-my-first-reaction-was-a-s_1132932.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/robert-tracy-mckenzie-46631_thanksgiving_i-confess-that-my-first-reaction-was-a-s_1132932.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I confess that my first reaction was a self-righteous astonishment that any group could so disfigure the…” — Robert Tracy McKenzie", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Robert Tracy McKenzie", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-tracy-mckenzie/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I confess that my first reaction...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-tracy-mckenzie/i-confess-that-my-first-reaction-was-a-self-righteous-astonishment/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-tracy-mckenzie/i-confess-that-my-first-reaction-was-a-self-righteous-astonishment/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```