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The First Thanksgiving
Proclamation
On June 20, 1676, the governing council of Charlestown,
Massachusetts instructed Edward Rawson, the clerk, to
proclaim June 29 as a day of thanksgiving, our first.
That proclamation is reproduced here in the same language
and spelling as the original.
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1676 Thanksgiving Proclamation
"The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series
of his Afflictive dispensations in and by the present
Warr with the Heathen Natives of this land, written and
brought to pass bitter things against his own Covenant
people in this wilderness, yet so that we evidently
discern that in the midst of his judgements he hath
remembered mercy, having remembered his Footstool in the
day of his sore displeasure against us for our sins, with
many singular Intimations of his Fatherly Compassion, and
regard; reserving many of our Towns from Desolation
Threatened, and attempted by the Enemy, and giving us
especially of late with many of our Confederates many
signal Advantages against them, without such Disadvantage
to ourselves as formerly we have been sensible of, if it
be the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed, It
certainly bespeaks our positive Thankfulness, when our
Enemies are in any measure disappointed or destroyed; and
fearing the Lord should take notice under so many
Intimations of his returning mercy, we should be found an
Insensible people, as not standing before Him with
Thanksgiving, as well as lading him with our Complaints
in the time of pressing Afflictions: The Council has
thought meet to appoint and set apart the 29th day of
this instant June, as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving and
praise to God for such his Goodness and Favour, many
Particulars of which mercy might be Instanced, but we
doubt not those who are sensible of God's Afflictions,
have been as diligent to espy him returning to us; and
that the Lord may behold us as a People offering Praise
and thereby glorifying Him; the Council doth commend it
to the Respective Ministers, Elders and people of this
Jurisdiction; Solemnly and seriously to keep the same
Beseeching that being persuaded by the mercies of God we
may all, even this whole people offer up our bodies and
souls as a living and acceptable Service unto God by
Jesus Christ."
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George Washington's 1789
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; 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 and 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 in the course and
conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of
tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since
enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which
we have been enable 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 has 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 shown kindness to us), and to bless them
with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the
knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and
the increase 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 3d day
of October,
A.D. 1789.
G. Washington
NOTE: Shortly after the Thanksgiving Proclamation was
written, it was lost for 130 years. The original document
was written in long hand by William Jackson, secretary to
the President, and was then signed by George Washington.
It was probably misplaced or mixed in with some private
papers when the US capitol moved from New York to
Washington, D.C. The original manuscript was not placed
in the National Archives until 1921 when Dr. J. C.
Fitzpatrick, assistant chief of the manuscripts division
of the Library of Congress found the proclamation at an
auction sale being held at an art gallery in New York. Dr
Fitzpatrick purchased the document for $300.00 for the
Library of Congress, in which it now resides. It was the
first official presidential proclamation issued in the
United States.
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Lincoln's Thanksgiving
Proclamation
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 wealthand of strength from the
fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have
notarrested 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
theascriptions 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 Statesto 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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