No otherholiday that is today widely observed in North America has such a long andcurious history as Tanksgiving.
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Throughoutthe Bible, there are references to the Israelites setting apart days forspecial thanksgiving to the Lord. Such days were common in England before thereformation and afterwards figured in the lives of the Protestants. In1872,February 27 was set aside as a day of thanksgiving for the Prince of Walesrecovery from typhoid fever, for example.
But thesewere only days of thanksgiving, The real, distinctively American ThanksgivingDay is a legacy of the Pilgrims ----the English colonists, led by separatistsfrom the Church of England ----who arrived in America in December 1620 aboardthe Mayflower and founded Plymouth Colony.
During thewinter after arriving in the new world.47 of the 103 Mayflower passengers died,but the remainder did not lose hope, By spring, each family had a home, and allwere planting grains they had brought with them and corn given them by friendlyWampanoag Indians. They were eating fish the Indians had taught them how tonet, along with wild game from the woods.
In gratitudefor the plenteous harvest, Governor Bradford set aside December 13,1621(oldStyle calendar)for feasting and celebration.
There was nospecific day of thanksgiving set aside in 1622.But in 1623,Thanksgiving Day wasso devoted to showing gratitude to God, rather than to social activity, thatsome authorites say it was the real beginning of Thanksgiving as we know ittoday. After the hard, severe winter of 1622-23,the Pilgrims planted seeds.Governor Bradford wrote that they hoped for a large crop. but suffered adrought from May till July.
Afterdiscussing the situation with the worried colonists, Governor Bradford ordereda day of prayer and fasting, during which the Pilgrims were to humblethemselves before the Lord.
The cropswere saved, and, after the harvest, "another solemn day was set apart forreturning glory, honor and praise, with all thankfulness, to our GoodGod."
During thefollowing years throughout New England, there were specific days ofthanksgiving----sometimes once a year, sometimes twice. Sometimes a year wasskipped. The part of the day spent in religious services varied, at leastpartially in keeping with the colonists‘ and the preachers’ assessment of justhow much they had to be thankful for at that particular time.
GeorgeWashington was inaugurated president of the United States on April 30,1789,anda few months later issued his fist proclamation. It had to do withThanksgiving. In September, a few days before Congress adjourned, Rep. EliasBoudinot made a motion that the president be requested to recommend a day ofprayer and thanksgiving for the many blessings of the Almighty God, andparticularly for His allowing them to establish a government that would providesafety and happiness. The motion was carried, and President Washingtonproclaimed November 26,1789,to be Thanksgiving Day. Washtington included in hisproclamation: "It is the duty of nations to acknowledge the providence ofAlmighty God, to obey His Will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly toimplore His protection and favor."
The severalpresidents after Washtington generally left to the governors of the states thedecision about whether there should be a specified day for thanksgiving, and,if so, what day it should be. However, after the War of 1812,President JamesMadison did proclaim a special nationwide day of thanksgiving for peace.
PresidentAbraham Lincon in the midst of the Civil War wrote the fist nationalThanksgiving Proclamation since George Washington‘s time, designating the lastThursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.
Lincoln in1864 issued another Thanksgiving Proclamation, and most U.S. presidents whofollowed him did the same. In 1938,Franklin D. Roosevelt ended his Thanksgivingmessage with "Americans, in our deepest natures, in our very souls, like allmankind, turn to God. ’In God we trust.‘"
In1952,Harry S. Truman included in his proclamation, "We are grateful forthe privileges and rights inherent in our way of life, and in particular forthe basic freedoms, which our citizens can enjoy without fear. "PresidentDwight Eisenhower in 1958 ended his Thanksgiving Proclamation with these words:"Let us be especially grateful for the religious heritage bequeathed us bythe Pilgrims, who after gathering their first harvest set apart a special dayfor rendering thanks to God for the bounties vouchsafed to them."