Washington said in his proclamation that part of the purpose was “to render our national government a blessing to all the people…”
What’s called the most American of holidays, Thanksgiving, had its roots in pilgrim and other colonial celebrations going back to the early 17th century.
It was President George Washington who first designated the celebration of Thanksgiving by our national government in 1789, although the Continental Congress of our nascent republic proclaimed several such days at varying times during the revolution. Indeed, General Washington in December of 1777 celebrated a day of Thanksgiving after the defeat of the British at Saratoga during the War of Independence.
Some maintain Thanksgiving became a true national holiday in 1863 during another war, this one fought to keep our nation united, when President Lincoln proclaimed that the last Thursday of November would be a National Day of Thanksgiving.
Fighting still another war, this one economic but just as devastating to American well-being, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered that Thanksgiving should always be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month in an attempt to promote holiday shopping earlier than the odd fifth Thursday of November allowed.
So, let us give thanks to our democracy today, remembering the hard fought battles and heroes of our past, while girding ourselves for the political, economic and military battles we now face. Through it all, remember there will always be more reasons to celebrate Thanksgivings to come.
