M edia

relations manager, George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate &

Gardens

Mount Vernon, Va. - Americans

don't know it and children aren't taught it, but George Washington

is responsible for our Thanksgiving holiday. It was our first president

who led the charge to make this day of thanks a truly national event,

not the Pilgrims and not Abraham Lincoln.

On Oct. 3, 1789, George Washington

issued his Thanksgiving Proclamation, designating for "the People

of the United States a day of public thanks-giving" to be held on

"Thursday the 26th day of November," 1789, marking the first

national celebration of a holiday that has become commonplace in today's

households.

While subsequent presidents

failed to maintain this tradition, it was Washington's original proclamation

that guided Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation. In

fact, Lincoln issued his proclamation on the same day, Oct. 3, and marked

the same Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 26, as Washington, setting Thanksgiving

as the last Thursday of November after our first president's example.

The proclamation was printed

in newspapers, including the Oct. 9, 1789 issue of the Pennsylvania Packet

and Daily Advertiser.

George Washington first mentioned

the possibility of a national Thanksgiving Day in a confidential letter

to James Madison in August 1789 (just months after taking office), asking

for his advice on approaching the Senate for their opinion on "a

day of thanksgiving."

a resolution had been introduced to the House of Representatives requesting

that "a joint committee of both Houses be directed to wait upon the

President of the United States, to request that he would recommend to

the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving."

The committee put the resolution

before the president and George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving

Proclamation within days.

Washington knew the value of

a thanksgiving day long before becoming our first president. During the

Revolutionary War, he would order special thanksgiving services for his

troops after successful battles, as well as publicly endorse efforts by

the Continental Congress to proclaim days of thanks, usually in recognition

of military victories and alliances.

The concept of thanksgiving

was not new to the citizens of the new United States. Colonists even before

the Pilgrims often established Thank Days to mark certain occasions. These

one-time events could occur at any time of the year and were usually more

solemn than the Thanksgiving we observe today, emphasizing prayer and

spiritual reflection.

Thanksgiving was not made a

legal holiday until 1941 when Congress named the fourth Thursday in November

as our national day of thanks in answer to public outcry over President

Roosevelt's attempt to prolong the Christmas shopping season by moving

Thanksgiving from the traditional last Thursday to the third Thursday

of November.

The following is Washington's

original 1789 proclamation:

"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

for their safety and happiness:'

"Now, therefore, I do

recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted

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 show 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 3rd day of October, A.D. 1789.

"(signed) G. Washington"

[Margaret Kuhn is media relations

manager for George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens

in Mount Vernon, Va. (on the Web at www.mountvernon.org).]