The George Washington 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

[Riprorin]

Happy Thanksgiving All!

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 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 which we experienced in the tranquility [sic], 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 hath 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 shewn [sic] kindness onto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord -- To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease [sic] 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 third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

George Washington

 

[Ozoned]

This can not be true because it is not what I was taught in school......

 

[TuxDave]

But the Thanksgiving that is known today was first introduced by Lincoln. You should probably put his proclaimation instead.

 

[Infohawk]

Washington had slaves... So if we're going to pick and choose...

 

[Riprorin]

Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation

October 3, 1863

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 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 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 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.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to 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.

 

[Riprorin]

The Continental Congress Thanksgiving Proclamation

October 11, 1782

By the United States in Congress assembled.

PROCLAMATION.

IT being the indispensable duty of all Nations, not only to offer up their supplications to ALMIGHTY GOD, the giver of all good, for his gracious assistance in a time of distress, but also in a solemn and public manner to give him praise for his goodness in general, and especially for great and signal interpositions of his providence in their behalf:

Therefore the United States in Congress assembled, taking into their consideration the many instances of divine goodness to these States, in the course of the important conflict in which they have been so long engaged; the present happy and promising state of public affairs; and the events of the war, in the course of the year now drawing to a close; particularly the harmony of the public Councils, which is so necessary to the success of the public cause; the perfect union and good understanding which has hitherto subsisted between them and their Allies, notwithstanding the artful and unwearied attempts of the common enemy to divide them; the success of the arms of the United States, and those of their Allies, and the acknowledgment of their independence by another European power, whose friendship and commerce must be of great and lasting advantage to these States:

Do hereby recommend to the inhabitants of these States in general, to observe, and request the several States to interpose their authority in appointing and commanding the observation of THURSDAY the twenty-eight day of NOVEMBER next, as a day of solemn THANKSGIVING to GOD for all his mercies: and they do further recommend to all ranks, to testify to their gratitude to GOD for his goodness, by a cheerful obedience of his laws, and by promoting, each in his station, and by his influence, the practice of true and undefiled religion, which is the great foundation of public prosperity and national happiness.

Done in Congress, at Philadelphia, the eleventh day of October, in the year of our LORD one thousand seven hundred and eighty-two, and of our Sovereignty and Independence, the seventh.

JOHN HANSON, President
Charles Thomson, Secretary

 

[jlmadyson]

This one gets the double fister. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[realsup]

Originally posted by: Infohawk
Washington had slaves... So if we're going to pick and choose...

I do not think he is picking and choosing.

Thanksgiving in The United States happens to be tommarow.

So this fits the theme.

Slavery does not.

 

[Rainsford]

Can we please not having everything be about God? Thanksgiving is a great tradition without having to beat everyone over the head with God, yet again.

 

[TuxDave]

And while we're at it, here's another nice one. A little less on the religion but more on the unity of America.

Thanksgiving Day, 2000

We have much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving Day. Our Nation is free, prosperous, and at peace. The remarkable growth in human knowledge and technological innovation offers real hope for defeating the age-old enemies of humanity: poverty, famine, and disease. Our dynamic economy continues to generate millions of new jobs, and, as wages rise and unemployment falls to its lowest level in more than a generation, millions of American families are sharing in the bounty of this great land for the first time.

Sharing in God?s blessings is at the heart of Thanksgiving and at the core of the American spirit. At Plymouth in 1621, the Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest in the New World thanks to the generosity of their Native American neighbors. In return, the Pilgrims invited these tribal members to share in their harvest festival. At Thanksgiving this year and every year, in worship services and family celebrations across our country, Americans carry on that tradition of giving, sharing not only with family and friends, but also with those in need throughout their communities.

Every generation of Americans has benefited from the generosity, talents, efforts, and contributions of their fellow citizens. All of us have been enriched by the diverse cultures, traditions, and beliefs of the millions of people who, by birth or choice, have come to call America their home. All of us are beneficiaries of our founders? wisdom and of the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform. While Americans are an independent people, we are interdependent as well, and our greatest achievements are those we have accomplished together.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let us remember with gratitude that despite our differences in background, age, politics, or race, each of us is a member of our larger American family and that, working together, there is nothing we cannot accomplish in this promising new century.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 23, 2000, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all the people of the United States to assemble in their homes, places of worship, and community centers to share the spirit of fellowship and prayer and to reinforce the ties of family and community; to express heartfelt thanks to God for our many blessings; and to reach out in gratitude and friendship to our brothers and sisters across this land who, together, comprise our great American family.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

 

[Infohawk]

Originally posted by: realsup

Originally posted by: Infohawk
Washington had slaves... So if we're going to pick and choose...

I do not think he is picking and choosing.

Thanksgiving in The United States happens to be tommarow.

So this fits the theme.

Slavery does not.

That's the way I feel about god. 😉

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: TuxDave
And while we're at it, here's another nice one. A little less on the religion but more on the unity of America.

Thanksgiving Day, 2000

We have much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving Day. Our Nation is free, prosperous, and at peace. The remarkable growth in human knowledge and technological innovation offers real hope for defeating the age-old enemies of humanity: poverty, famine, and disease. Our dynamic economy continues to generate millions of new jobs, and, as wages rise and unemployment falls to its lowest level in more than a generation, millions of American families are sharing in the bounty of this great land for the first time.

Sharing in God?s blessings is at the heart of Thanksgiving and at the core of the American spirit. At Plymouth in 1621, the Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest in the New World thanks to the generosity of their Native American neighbors. In return, the Pilgrims invited these tribal members to share in their harvest festival. At Thanksgiving this year and every year, in worship services and family celebrations across our country, Americans carry on that tradition of giving, sharing not only with family and friends, but also with those in need throughout their communities.

Every generation of Americans has benefited from the generosity, talents, efforts, and contributions of their fellow citizens. All of us have been enriched by the diverse cultures, traditions, and beliefs of the millions of people who, by birth or choice, have come to call America their home. All of us are beneficiaries of our founders? wisdom and of the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform. While Americans are an independent people, we are interdependent as well, and our greatest achievements are those we have accomplished together.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let us remember with gratitude that despite our differences in background, age, politics, or race, each of us is a member of our larger American family and that, working together, there is nothing we cannot accomplish in this promising new century.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 23, 2000, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all the people of the United States to assemble in their homes, places of worship, and community centers to share the spirit of fellowship and prayer and to reinforce the ties of family and community; to express heartfelt thanks to God for our many blessings; and to reach out in gratitude and friendship to our brothers and sisters across this land who, together, comprise our great American family.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

Ah, unity, remember that? 😉

 

[jlmadyson]

And while we're at it, here's another nice one. A little less on the religion but more on the unity of America.

Ah even WJC has the old Thanksgiving Day spirit. Can't seem to quite give him the two fister like the founding fathers, but I'll give em the one. :thumbsup: 😀

 

[TuxDave]

Originally posted by: jlmadyson

And while we're at it, here's another nice one. A little less on the religion but more on the unity of America.

Ah even WJC has the old Thanksgiving Day spirit. Can't seem to quite give him the two fister like the founding fathers, but I'll give em the one. :thumbsup: 😀

pssst..... not to ruin the party or anything, but every president since Lincoln has a proclaimation on Thanksgiving..... but nonetheless, the proclaimation by WJC is pretty good by my standards.

 

[XZeroII]

Originally posted by: Rainsford
Can we please not having everything be about God? Thanksgiving is a great tradition without having to beat everyone over the head with God, yet again.

Um, these are quotes from the people who risked their lives so your sorry as$ can post on these forums. Show some respect.




Rip,
Great post! Happy Thanksgiving to you, and everyone else.

 

[jlmadyson]

Originally posted by: TuxDave

Originally posted by: jlmadyson

And while we're at it, here's another nice one. A little less on the religion but more on the unity of America.

Ah even WJC has the old Thanksgiving Day spirit. Can't seem to quite give him the two fister like the founding fathers, but I'll give em the one. :thumbsup: 😀

pssst..... not to ruin the party or anything, but every president since Lincoln has a proclaimation on Thanksgiving..... but nonetheless, the proclaimation by WJC is pretty good by my standards.

psst....you didn't ruin the party, old news. Just messing with all the WJC lovers. :laugh:

 

[b0mbrman]

How about Kennedy? I'm a big fan of Kennedy

THANKSGIVING DAY, 1961

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord."
More than three centuries ago, the Pilgrims, after a year of hardship and peril, humbly and reverently set aside a special day upon which to give thanks to God for their preservation and for the good harvest from the virgin soil upon which they had labored. Grave and unknown dangers remained. Yet by their faith and by their toil they had survived the rigors of the harsh New England winter. Hence they paused in their labors to give thanks for the blessings that had been bestowed upon them by Divine Providence.
This year, as the harvest draws near its close and the year approaches its end, awesome perils again remain to be faced. Yet we have, as in the past, ample reason to be thankful for the abundance of our blessings. We are grateful for the blessings of faith and health and strength and for the imperishable spiritual gifts of love and hope. We give thanks, too, for our freedom as a nation; for the strength of our arms and the faith of our friends; for the beliefs and confidence we share; for our determination to stand firmly for what we believe to be right and to resist mightily what we believe to be base; and for the heritage of liberty bequeathed by our ancestors which we are privileged to preserve for our children and our children's children.

It is right that we should be grateful for the plenty amidst which we live; the productivity of our farms, the output of our factories, the skill of our artisans, and the ingenuity of our investors. But in the midst of our thanksgiving, let us not be unmindful of the plight of those in many parts of the world to whom hunger is no stranger and the plight of those millions more who live without the blessings of liberty and freedom. With some we are able to share our material abundance through our Food-for-Peace Program and through our support of the United Nations Freedom-from-Hunger Campaign. To all we can offer the sustenance of hope that we shall not fail in our unceasing efforts to make this a peaceful and prosperous world for all mankind.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOHN F. KENNEDY, President of the United States of America, in consonance with the joint resolution of Congress approved December 26, 1941, which designates the fourth Thursday in November of each year as Thanksgiving Day, do hereby proclaim Thursday, the twenty-third day of November of this year, as a day of national thanksgiving.

I urge all citizens to make this Thanksgiving not merely a holiday from their labors, but rather a day of contemplation. I ask the head of each family to recount to his children the story of the first New England thanksgiving, thus to impress upon future generations the heritage of this nation born in toil, in danger, in purpose, and in the conviction that right and justice and freedom can through man?s efforts persevere and come to fruition with the blessing of God.

Let us observe this day with reverence and with prayer that will rekindle in us the will and show us the way not only to preserve our blessings, but also to extend them to the four corners of the earth. Let us by our example, as well as by our material aid, assist all peoples of all nations who are striving to achieve a better life in freedom.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed.

DONE at the City of Washington this twenty-seventh day of October in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and sixty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and eighty-sixth.

JOHN F. KENNEDY

 

[Red Dawn]

Sitting Bull 1876

"Payback time suckers!"😉

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Infohawk
Washington had slaves... So if we're going to pick and choose...

Washington freed all his slaves and was 10,000x the man you are. Quit threadcrapping with irrelevancies.



Thanksgiving is all about God, giving thanks to Him for the bountiful harvest that will see us through the long winter.

Happy Thanksgiving All! :wine:🙂

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: Vic

Thanksgiving is all about God, giving thanks to Him for the bountiful harvest that will see us through the long winter.

For those who believe in that stuff. For the rest of us it's about getting together with friends and family and having a good time and good eats.:beer:

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: Vic
Thanksgiving is all about God, giving thanks to Him for the bountiful harvest that will see us through the long winter.

For those who believe in that stuff. For the rest of us it's about getting together with friends and family and having a good time and good eats.:beer:

Either way, it's a good thing. 🙂

 

[kylebisme]

Originally posted by: Rainsford
Can we please not having everything be about God? Thanksgiving is a great tradition without having to beat everyone over the head with God, yet again.

Well, neither Washington or Licoln were Christains, if that makes you feel any better.

 

[eigen]

Originally posted by: TheSnowman

Originally posted by: Rainsford
Can we please not having everything be about God? Thanksgiving is a great tradition without having to beat everyone over the head with God, yet again.

Well, neither Washington or Licoln were Christains, if that makes you feel any better.

Bingo. The OP prolly doenst realize it but the Founding Fathers had more in common with the likes of Conjur,Infohawk...etc.

 

[jlmadyson]

Originally posted by: eigen

Originally posted by: TheSnowman

Originally posted by: Rainsford
Can we please not having everything be about God? Thanksgiving is a great tradition without having to beat everyone over the head with God, yet again.

Well, neither Washington or Licoln were Christains, if that makes you feel any better.

Many have debated this.

Bingo. The OP prolly doenst realize it but the Founding Fathers had more in common with the likes of Conjur,Infohawk...etc.

Laughable :laugh:

 

[kylebisme]

Originally posted by: jlmadyson
Many have debated this.

Sure, and many have debated wether or not we landed on the moon as well. But the fact remains that both Washington and Lincoln were deist.