Pres. Lincoln's" Day of Thanksgiving" Proclamtion

[Jimmy Henry]

Proclamation of Thanksgiving
Washington, D.C.
October 3, 1863
This 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 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.

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.

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

William H. Seward,
Secretary of State



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[Clayton_Wetter]

You can't deny a REAL president!!

[LITE-INN]

You can't deny a REAL president!!

wait obama is real

[Clayton_Wetter]

I see you left off the president part though!

[CIRF]

Abe had the right idea making Thanksgiving a Federal Holiday. That's for sure.

The problem is that we've very recently allowed the greedy retailers to pi$$ all over Thanksgiving.

Some would say "if you don't like it don't participate". I would say to that, I don't participate, but the thousands of people who have their holiday ruined don't have a choice.

These outfit's that choose to pi$$ all over Thanksgiving will get the money in sales whether it's on Thanksgiving Day or if it's a week later.

We have a law here in the Land 'O Lincoln & crooked politicians that prohibits car dealers to be open for business on Sundays. A similar law needs to be enacted to prevent retailers from being open for business on Thanksgiving Day. There would plenty of support amongst the general population for a law like that and it needs to be done.

[LITE-INN]

Abe had the right idea making Thanksgiving a Federal Holiday. That's for sure.

The problem is that we've very recently allowed the greedy retailers to pi$$ all over Thanksgiving.

Some would say "if you don't like it don't participate". I would say to that, I don't participate, but the thousands of people who have their holiday ruined don't have a choice.

These outfit's that choose to pi$$ all over Thanksgiving will get the money in sales whether it's on Thanksgiving Day or if it's a week later.

We have a law here in the Land 'O Lincoln & crooked politicians that prohibits car dealers to be open for business on Sundays. A similar law needs to be enacted to prevent retailers from being open for business on Thanksgiving Day. There would plenty of support amongst the general population for a law like that and it needs to be done.

how many states have dealerships open on sunday I 'd rather like they did in my youth all businesses closed on sunday

[CIRF]

Not sure. I did some research to find out which states allow car sales on Sunday and I got nowhere. Didn't take time to get into it extensively but I believe most states prohibit car dealers to be open.

I love the fact that Chik-Fil-A isn't open on Sunday, but unfortunately there isn't one close to us.

I don't necessarily believe everything should be closed on Sunday's. But I do believe a couple of days a year that everything should be closed. Obviously fire protection, law enforcement and healthcare is necessary 365 days a year, but all non-essential business needs to close a couple of days a year and one of them should be Thanksgiving Day.

Walgreen's is a prime example of corporate greed and disregard for employee family life and I WILL NOT PATRONIZE THEM........ EVER.