After washington left office, john adams, james madison, and others intermediately declared days of thanksgiving. In colonial times, thanksgiving was a harvest festival, in which the colonists offered thanks to god almighty for a good harvest, sometimes by. 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. This is the text of a proclamation for a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, issued by george washington when he served as president.
George washingtons first american thanksgiving 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. Thanksgiving day proclamation thanksgiving proclamation by. Issued in the first year of his first term as president, in response to congress request that he. George washington thanksgiving proclamation youtube. Transcript for president george washingtons thanksgiving proclamation from october 3, 1789 by the president of the united states of america, a proclamation. President washington sent the thanksgiving proclamation to the states governors and asked for the leaders to make sure it was posted and published for all to see. Nov 23, 2017 george washingtons 1789 thanksgiving proclamation posted by kemberlee kaye thursday, november 23, 2017 at 3. George washingtons thanksgiving proclamation by george.
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 favorand whereas both houses of congress. At the request of congress, washington establishes november 26th as a national holiday of thanks to god for the successful establishment of the constitution and government and the liberties the citizens enjoy under the new. Nov 24, 2016 by the president of the united states of america, a proclamation. According to it, november 26 was declared as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. George washingtons original thanksgiving proclamation, 1789. Nov 27, 2019 thanksgiving is a quintessential american holiday. George washington s thanksgiving proclamation by bruce hausknecht, esq.
George washington, the first president of the united states, made this proclamation on. Commanderinchief of the continental army in the war of american. Through its grants program, the nhprc supports a wide range of activities to preserve, publish, and encourage the use of documentary sources, relating to the history of the united states, and research and development projects to bring historical records to the public. General thanksgiving by the president of the united states of america a proclamation. On october 3, 1789, george washington issued a proclamation creating the first thanksgiving day designated by the national government of the united states of america, to be celebrated on thursday, november 26, 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 requested me to recommend to the people of the united. George washingtons thanksgiving proclamation smithsonian.
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. It is a holiday that in many ways requires some sense of the supernatural whether we care to acknowledge it or not. George washington, october 3, 1789, thanksgiving library. A copy of this proclamation was sent to the executives of the states by the president in a brief form letter october 3. President washington declared the first national day of thanksgiving in 1789. The day was to be observed by people by thanking god and being. John adams and james madison similarly declared thanksgiving a holiday. Nov 20, 2012 washington issued the proclamation on 3 october, designating a day of prayer and thanksgiving. Here is the exact text of george washingtons thanksgiving proclamation. And it lists washingtons thanksgiving proclamation as the first presidential proclamation. Printable pdf version new york, 3rd october, 1789 by the president of the united states of america. George washingtons thanksgiving proclamation by bruce hausknecht, esq. The national historical publications and records commission nhprc is part of the national archives. In october of 1789, president george washington issued his thanksgiving proclamation, calling the nation to acknowledge the providence of almighty god.
George washington 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 favour. Nov 22, 2010 tweets that mention brother george washingtons 1789 thanksgiving proclamation fmi masonic traveler says. Six years after the conclusion of the revolutionary war, elias boudinot of new jersey brought a resolution to the us house of representatives requesting that the president set aside a day. Thanksgiving reveals the god george washington and abraham. Washington enclosed the thanksgiving proclamation in his circular to the governors of the states. George washingtons thanksgiving proclamation of 1789 while there are revisionist historians who awkwardly perform intellectual somersaults and contortions to construct fictional narratives about our nations history, insisting that its foundations are wholly secular, the plain fact is that the united states of america waswithout. Rush limbaugh reads george washingtons thanksgiving proclamation. Tweets that mention brother george washingtons 1789 thanksgiving proclamation fmi masonic traveler says. Thanksgiving day proclamation thanksgiving proclamation. Thanksgiving proclamation of 1789 george washingtons mount. Thanksgiving proclamation george washington the present selection, the thanksgiving proclamation of 1789, was washingtons and the nations first presidential proclamation. See another national thanksgiving proclamation issued by george washington in 1795.
But on this thanksgiving 229 years later, our first presidents call to give thanks still rings true. Thanksgiving proclamation by the president of the united states of america, a proclamation. On october 3, 1789, george washington issued his thanksgiving proclamation, designating for the people of the united states a day of public thanksgiving to be held on thursday the 26th day of november, 1789, marking the first national celebration of a holiday that has become commonplace in todays households. This form is recorded in the letter book in the washington papers. He was following in the hallowed footsteps of george washington. Brethren, since today is the thanksgiving observance and holiday in the united states, i thought that it would be prudent to read the thanksgiving proclamation of george washington and abraham lincoln.
Nov 24, 2016 our yearly reminder and blog post of a thanksgiving proclamation, this time its george washingtons. George washington s original thanksgiving proclamation, 1789 sobering words for thanksgiving, directly from the first proclamation by george himself in 1789, from new york. Washington enclosed the thanksgiving proclamation in his. George washingtons original thanksgiving proclamation, 1789 sobering words for thanksgiving, directly from the first proclamation by george himself in 1789, from new york. See another national thanksgiving proclamation issued by george washington in 1789.
In the first year of the constitutional republic, both houses of congress recommended to george washington that he set apart a day for thanksgiving and payer. By the president of the united states of america, a proclamation. Washington issued a proclamation on october 3, 1789, designating thursday, november 26 as a national day of thanks. This is the text of george washingtons october 3, 1789 national thanksgiving proclamation. They celebrated with a community meal, joined by local native americans. George washingtons thanksgiving proclamation written in 1789 is essential holiday reading. I must request the favor of you to have published and made known in your state in the way and manner that shall be most agreeable to yourself, he wrote. The national thanksgiving proclamation was the first formal proclamation of thanksgiving in the united states. George washingtons thanksgiving proclamation washington times. Nov 25, 2015 issued at the request of congress on oct. It is clear from washington s october 3rd, 1789 thanksgiving proclamation that he rejected deism.
By the president of the united states, a proclamation. On that same day in 1789, the nations first president gave his thanksgiving. Presidential proclamation thanksgiving day whitehouse. Thanksgiving proclamation of 1789 by george washington. I do myself the honor to enclose to your excellency a proclamation for a general thanksgiving which i must request the favor of you to have published and made known in your. Thanksgiving proclamation issued by president george washington, at the request of congress, on october 3, 1789 by the president of the. Our yearly reminder and blog post of a thanksgiving proclamation, this time its george washingtons. George washingtons thanksgiving proclamation from 1789. George washingtons thanksgiving proclamation of 1789. Washington issued the proclamation on 3 october, designating a day of prayer and thanksgiving.
Times have changed since george washingtons first american thanksgiving proclamation in 1789. It is clear from washingtons october 3rd, 1789 thanksgiving proclamation that he rejected deism. In 1789, president george washington declared thursday the 26th of november, to be a day of public thanksgiving and prayer devoted 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. George washingtons proclamation of americas first thanksgiving by joseph ashby, the first official united states thanksgiving came on november 26, 1789. He sent the following, along with the proclamation, to the governors of the united states. George washington thanksgiving proclamation 3 october 1789. Times have changed since george washington s first american thanksgiving proclamation in 1789. Nov 23, 2009 today, we recall president george washington, who proclaimed our first national day of public thanksgiving to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of almighty god, and president abraham lincoln, who established our annual thanksgiving day to help mend a fractured nation in the midst of civil war. Nov 28, 2019 records of washingtons orders and proclamations published on the american presidency project website at the university of california, santa barbara, show that president washington issued 15 proclamations during his two terms in office. President george washington declared thursday, november 26, 1789 as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. Brother george washingtons 1789 thanksgiving proclamation. George washingtons thanksgiving proclamation washington. Happy birthday to washingtons thanksgiving proclamation. Thanksgiving proclamation of 1789 george washingtons.
The nation then celebrated its first thanksgiving under its new constitution. George washington, october 3, 1789, thanksgiving library of. George washington proposes the last thursday of november, 1789 to be a day of thanksgiving to god in this three paragraph long proclamation. In his proclamation, washington declared that the necessity for such a day sprung from the almightys care of americans prior to the revolution, assistance to them in achieving independence, and help in establishing the. Below you will find our first presidents proclamation of thanksgiving in which his sense of the hand of providence upon the american republic is quite clear. A thanksgiving proclamation by president george washington. George washington, thanksgiving proclamation new york, 3 october 1789 by the president of the united states of america, a proclamation. By the president of the united states of america a proclamation. Washingtons thanksgiving proclamation a bite of torah. While there were many observances regarding thanksgiving, the first historic proclamation was issued by president george washington on 3rd october 1789, during his tenure. Issued in the first year of his first term as president, in response to congress request that he recommend a day of public thanks.
Series 8, miscellaneous papers, 1738 to 1799 4 george washington papers 35,445 manuscript division 161,832 format. Transcript of president george washingtons thanksgiving proclamation from october 3, 1789. Thanksgiving proclamations of washington and lincoln. We all learned in elementary school that the american holiday known as thanksgiving has its roots in the pilgrims survival of their first winter in the new world and successful harvest in 1621.
On october 3, 1789, president george washington issued a proclamation naming thursday, november 26, 1789 as an official holiday of sincere and humble thanks. Several presidents opposed days of national thanksgiving, with thomas jefferson openly denouncing such a proclamation. Yet he expresses the truth in such a profound way that one cannot avoid being moved by this classic piece of work. The national thanksgiving proclamation was the first formal proclamation of thanksgiving in america. Nov 24, 2010 rush limbaugh reads george washington s thanksgiving 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. Records of washingtons orders and proclamations published on the american presidency project website at the university of california, santa barbara, show that president washington issued 15 proclamations during his two terms in office. It was published in the columbian centinel on january 1, 1795.