Happy Thanksgiving to all! It’s been nearly four centuries since the first Thanksgiving in 1621, but it wasn’t until the midst of the Civil War that it was made a national holiday. Indeed, born in a time of national crisis and division came what’s a unifying national holiday today.
While it wasn’t a national holiday at the time, George Washington gave a Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789 to give thanks for our new nation and constitution. The constitution had just been drafted two years earlier and our nation was in its infancy. In the centuries since Washington read his proclamation, the country he gave thanks for has grown into the wealthiest, most innovative and successful nation in the history of human civilization. Below is the proclamation quoted in full. I’ve also added a video-reading of the proclamation afterwards for any readers as lazy as me.
By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation.
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 requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving 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.
and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
For reasons unknown to me, there’s a brand of liberal that feels it necessary to politicize the history of Thanksgiving each year. There must be some unnamed law that if there’s something that unifies Americans, there will be an immediate liberal desire to poison it with politics (football comes to mind as another example of this phenomenon). If you feel any need to set the record straight, Prager University has a great video explaining the follies behind the arguments that Thanksgiving has “racist” roots as a holiday.
And on that note, I believe it’s time for dessert.
