President George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving Day proclamation under the Constitution
William D. Bailey
The Founders Blog
11/22/2012
General Thanksgiving
By the President of the United States of America,
A Proclamation
City of New York, October 3, 1789
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee 78 requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanks-giving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th. day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us…
President Washington’s proclamation continues at The Founders Blog.
Giving thanks to God is part of the very fabric of our nation, even since before we were a nation. The first settlers who came to America came looking for religious freedom, and they did not forget to thank God for His blessings even in the midst of difficult circumstances. May we have that same spirit and fortitude.
Here is a video that shares the words of President Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1863 – right in the middle of the Civil War. Lincoln’s words reflect the kind of spirit that built and preserved this nation. That faith and reliance on God exhibited by Lincoln, and by so many through the history of our nation, may be in the minority today, but it is still alive and will hopefully flourish once again. I hope you and your family have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Watch video of a reading of Lincoln’s proclamation at Freedom’s Lighthouse.
Also, enjoy the Quotation of the Day from Cafe Hayek:
…be thankful for than did those first brave English subjects of James I who latched themselves onto the Massachusetts wilderness…
Read the whole thing!
Update: At The Blaze they’ve posted Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation. Read it there.
CAJ note: We are deeply grateful to those who serve our nation, with their vow to defend the Constitution, at great personal sacrifice. We thank you, and your families. May Americans use this day to examine our hearts and to give thanks for all the blessings we receive, despite the challenges and obstacles we face.
God bless you, our readers, on this Thanksgiving Day.