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Of course, no one had a camera handy to snap a group photo, so counting heads at that first Thanksgiving in Plymouth in 1621 is not so easily done, especially for the Wampanoag Indian guests. But the best count indicates 141 people participated.
A precise census of the Pilgrims who survived the first year is provided by the Mayflower Hall Museum. There were 51 Pilgrims on hand. That included 21 men, 4 married women, 13 adolescents (8 boys and 5 girls) and 13 children.
The staff at the Plimoth Plantation historic site (they use the archaic spelling) puts the number of Indian participants at 90.
Ninety Indians plus 51 Pilgrims adds us to 141 participants.
By the way: that first "Thanksgiving" was not a single meal. It was celebrated as a harvest festival, and lasted for three days.
