Thanks Newt. Once again in keeping with personal tradition I ate way to much,
and bet on the wrong football team !
This is when Thanksgiving became official.
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.
President George
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.
Mrs. Rain Dog~Ocean Girl
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