Washington Proclaims Thanksgiving: A New American Tradition
George Washington issued a proclamation on November 26, 1789, designating a national day of thanksgiving, the first under the new Constitution. Congress had requested it, and Washington chose Thursday, November 26. The proclamation asked Americans to acknowledge 'the many signal favors of Almighty God' and to pray for the new government's success. Not everyone approved: some Southern congressmen objected that thanksgiving was a New England custom being imposed on the nation, and anti-Federalists complained it was too monarchical. The holiday was not observed consistently after Washington's presidency; Jefferson refused to issue thanksgiving proclamations, calling them a form of government involvement in religion. Abraham Lincoln revived the tradition in 1863, fixing the holiday on the last Thursday in November. It has been observed annually since.
November 26, 1789
237 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on November 26
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