Final answer:
Historical interpretation is central to understanding the Thanksgiving story and reflects the broader truth that history often mirrors the biases and various interpretations of the time it is studied.
Step-by-step explanation:
Contention over the Thanksgiving story suggests that historical interpretation is critical to understanding history. This speaks to the question: What does contention over the Thanksgiving story suggest about how historical facts are interpreted and how history is determined?
Option A) History often reflects biased perspectives and diverse interpretations is a reflection of the reality that historians bring their own perspectives to their work, which can lead to different narratives. This is further emphasized by the recognition that historical facts are vast, fragmentary, and messy, requiring careful selection and organization by historians. It also acknowledges how interpretations of the past can shift and change as new perspectives and information come into play, thus illustrating that history is subjective and a product of both the time it was written and the evidence from the past.
Option B) Suggests that historical facts are not static but rather malleable and open to subjective interpretation. This is supported by understanding that bias, whether influenced by contemporaneous events or prevailing attitudes, can drive historians to seek out new sources and narratives in an effort to bring more clarity to history.
Options C and D are incorrect in suggesting that interpretations are always fixed and that consensus is necessary to establish facts. Historical inquiry is dynamic, and historians must apply historical empathy, setting aside modern assumptions to understand the past on its own terms.
Therefore, the contention over the Thanksgiving story underscores the importance of acknowledging diverse historical narratives and the ever-evolving nature of historical scholarship.