Abe Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation: The Emblematic American Holiday

Thanksgiving is the emblematic American holiday, with a history rich in all the traditions and beliefs that make up the best of the American spirit and identity. At the first Thanksgiving, 400 years ago, American Indians and European settlers alike gathered together in friendship and harmony to celebrate the gifts and blessings of the God Who made them all in His image. George Washington, the Father of our Country, first (when the US had become the US) proclaimed a day of thanksgiving, and later President Lincoln, the man who saved the Union, in conjunction with his secretary of state William Seward, established what became the beloved national holiday we have today. A female magazine editor was instrumental in the latter holiday establishment, too, and the manuscript of Lincoln’s proclamation was sold to benefit Union troops (at a time when there were many black as well as white troops).

Thus Thanksgiving, as a holiday centering around family, patriotism, and pious gratitude to God, as a holiday with a history involving the inspirational acts of individuals of multiple races and both sexes, is truly a symbol of American greatness, America at its best, America as it always should be.

“This [see below] is the proclamation which set the precedent for America’s national day of Thanksgiving. During his administration, President Lincoln issued many orders similar to this. For example, on November 28, 1861, he ordered government departments closed for a local day of thanksgiving.

Sarah Josepha Hale, a 74-year-old magazine editor, wrote a letter to Lincoln on September 28, 1863, urging him to have the ‘day of our annual Thanksgiving made a National and fixed Union Festival.’ She explained, ‘You may have observed that, for some years past, there has been an increasing interest felt in our land to have the Thanksgiving held on the same day, in all the States; it now needs National recognition and authoritive [sic] fixation, only, to become permanently, an American custom and institution.’

Prior to this, each state scheduled its own Thanksgiving holiday at different times, mainly in New England and other Northern states. President Lincoln responded to Mrs. Hale's request immediately, unlike several of his predecessors, who ignored her petitions altogether. In her letter to Lincoln she mentioned that she had been advocating a national thanksgiving date for 15 years as the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book. George Washington was the first president to proclaim a day of thanksgiving, issuing his request on October 3, 1789, exactly 74 years before Lincoln’s.

The document below sets apart the last Thursday of November ‘as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise.’ According to an April 1, 1864, letter from John Nicolay, one of President Lincoln’s secretaries, this document was written by Secretary of State William Seward, and the original was in his handwriting. On October 3, 1863, fellow Cabinet member Gideon Welles recorded in his diary how he complimented Seward on his work. A year later the manuscript was sold to benefit Union troops.”

Below is Lincoln and Seward’s proclamation:

Have a truly wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!