On Thanksgiving
I've always looked to gratitude and unity as two important themes to emphasize during the Thanksgiving season.
Appreciative for all the blessings that God has so graciously provided, and for all the individuals whose actions have positive impacted others, I offer a humble thank you. This blessed season is also unifying in that we traditionally open our homes and hearts to break bread with friends, family, and other loved ones (and, at times, others whom we don't love, like, or even know very well). Let's use the opportunities of this blessed season as a wonderful setting to reflect, thank, give, celebrate, and commit.
These important principles apply to not only one's personal life, but also our Nation's storied history and committed future as a beacon for individual liberty.
In this post, I take a quick look at the Thanksgiving proclamations from Bradford, Washington, Lincoln, and Obama, which showcase how critical the virtues of gratitude and unity have been to our Nation, especially when in the midst of significant hardship and despair. Throughout our history, wise leaders have used these virtuous themes to lead America through the most difficult of situations, overcoming adversities and persevering through the harshest of circumstances.
But challenging times no doubt continue to lie ahead for our Nation, and I pray that the spirit of Thanksgiving, with its commitment to gratitude and unity, continues as a foundation to inspire America to an even more promising future.
William Bradford Issues the First Thanksgiving Proclamation
America's Thanksgiving tradition stretches back to the 1620's, with Plymouth Governor William Bradford and his fellow Pilgrims celebrating a post-harvest bounty while thanking God for 1) their continued survival in the face of great hardships; and 2) their newfound freedom to exercise their religious beliefs. During this 3-day harvest feast and festival, nearly 100 local Native Americans joined the Pilgrims in their celebration. Although complexities surely surround their relationships with the Native Americans, this specific event showcases the ideals of gratitude and unity through the spirit of Thanksgiving.
In what many refer to as America's first Thanksgiving, below are Bradford's words proclaiming Thursday, November 29, 1623, as a day of thanksgiving.
"Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest . . . and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams . . . and He has protected us . . . has spared us [and] has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience.
Now I, your magistrate, do [announce a gathering] to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings."
The gratitude- and unity-focused Thanksgiving themes on display in the early 1600's continued through the founding of our Nation in the late 1700's, and its preservation in the mid-1800's. In the early to mid-1900's, the Thanksgiving themes became more fully nationalized (and commercialized) and are now, in the early 2000's, used to demonstrate ongoing commitments to these foundational principles.
George Washington issues America's first Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamation
Late November has traditionally been a time for our state and Nation's leaders to use Thanksgiving as a means to unify the populace while humbly expressing gratitude and requesting God's blessings throughout the year that lies ahead. In his first year as President, George Washington was the first to issue a Thanksgiving proclamation to the Nation as a whole. In subsequent years, however, the tradition generally continued with state leaders issuing such proclamations.
Here is Washington's proclamation, signed on October 3, 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 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 favor, able interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled 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 trangressions; 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.
Abraham Lincoln Uses the Thanksgiving Proclamation to Heal, Unify, and Preserve
President Lincoln used proclamations of Thanksgiving as a means to help unite our country during the Civil War. Lincoln's inspiring words below also demonstrate his gratitude for the "gracious gifts of the Most High God":
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 unequalled 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 consciousness 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.
President Obama Continues the Tradition of Issuing Thanksgiving Proclamations
Although obviously not to the degree of unrest during the Washington and Lincoln presidencies, recent Presidents such as Reagan, Clinton, Bush, and Obama have led our Nation during tumultuous and divisive times. In his 2015 Thanksgiving Proclamation, for example, Obama effectively uses the gratitude and unity themes to lead our Nation:
Rooted in a story of generosity and partnership, Thanksgiving offers an opportunity for us to express our gratitude for the gifts we have and to show our appreciation for all we hold dear. Today, as we give of ourselves in service to others and spend cherished time with family and friends, we give thanks for the many blessings bestowed upon us. We also honor the men and women in uniform who fight to safeguard our country and our freedoms so we can share occasions like this with loved ones, and we thank our selfless military families who stand beside and support them each and every day.
“I encourage the people of the United States to join together . . . and give thanks for all we have received in the past year.”
Our modern celebration of Thanksgiving can be traced back to the early 17th century. Upon arriving in Plymouth, at the culmination of months of testing travel that resulted in death and disease, the Pilgrims continued to face great challenges. An indigenous people, the Wampanoag, helped them adjust to their new home, teaching them critical survival techniques and important crop cultivation methods. After securing a bountiful harvest, the settlers and Wampanoag joined in fellowship for a shared dinner to celebrate powerful traditions that are still observed at Thanksgiving today: lifting one another up, enjoying time with those around us, and appreciating all that we have.
Carrying us through trial and triumph, this sense of decency and compassion has defined our Nation. President George Washington proclaimed the first Thanksgiving in our country's nascence, calling on the citizens of our fledgling democracy to place their faith in "the providence of Almighty God," and to be thankful for what is bequeathed to us. In the midst of bitter division at a critical juncture for America, President Abraham Lincoln acknowledged the plight of the most vulnerable, declaring a "day of thanksgiving," on which all citizens would "commend to [God's] tender care" those most affected by the violence of the time -- widows, orphans, mourners, and sufferers of the Civil War. A tradition of giving continues to inspire this holiday, and at shelters and food centers, on battlefields and city streets, and through generous donations and silent prayers, the inherent selflessness and common goodness of the American people endures.
In the same spirit of togetherness and thanksgiving that inspired the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag, we pay tribute to people of every background and belief who contribute in their own unique ways to our country's story. Each of us brings our own traditions, cultures, and recipes to this quintessential American holiday -- whether around dinner tables, in soup kitchens, or at home cheering on our favorite sports teams -- but we are all united in appreciation of the bounty of our Nation. Let us express our gratitude by welcoming others to our celebrations and recognize those who volunteer today to ensure a dinner is possible for those who might have gone without. Together, we can secure our founding ideals as the birthright of all future generations of Americans.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 26, 2015, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage the people of the United States to join together -- whether in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or any place of fellowship for friends and neighbors -- and give thanks for all we have received in the past year, express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own, and share our bounty with others.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I also offer a special "Thank You" to all those serving others on this blessed day. Our communities would not survive without you; Our Nation can not survive without you. Whether you are in the military serving overseas, a law enforcement officer or other public servant serving our communities at home, or a business owner or employee working extra long hours on behalf of others, please know that your efforts, time, and commitments are appreciated.
When watching the Macy's parade, I was specifically reminded of the law enforcement and other officials dedicated to keep us safe, allowing us to live normal lives.
May God unify this divided Nation, heal its wounds, and provide us with peace and tranquility.
For more information, please see links below
- Thanksgiving timeline
- A concise history of Thanksgiving in North America
- A list of Thanksgiving Proclamations
- William Bradford and the first Thanksgiving
- Proclamations from Lincoln, Davis, Johnson, and Grant
