Date: November 15, 1985
By: Ronald Reagan
Although the time and date of the first American thanksgiving
observance may be uncertain, there is no question but that this
treasured custom derives from our Judeo-Christian heritage. "Unto
Three, O God, do we give thanks," the Psalmist sang, praising God
not only for the "wondrous works" of His creation, but for
loving guidance and deliverance from dangers.
A band of settlers arriving in Maine in 1607 held a service of thanks
for their safe journey, and twelve years later settlers in Virginia set
aside a day of thanksgiving for their survival. In 1621 Governor William
Bradford created the most famous of all such observances at Plymouth
Colony when a bounteous harvest prompted him to proclaim a special day "to
render thanksgiving to the Almighty God for all His blessings." The
Spaniards in California and the Dutch in New Amsterdam also held
services to give public thanks to God.
In 1777, during our War of Independence, the Continental Congress set
aside a day for thanksgiving and praise for our victory at the battle of
Saratoga. It was the first time all the colonies took part in such an
event on the same day. The following year, upon news that France was
coming to our aid, George Washington at Valley Forge prescribed a
special day of thanksgiving. Later, as our first President, he responded
to a Congressional petition by declaring Thursday, November 26, 1789,
the first Thanksgiving Day of the United States of America.
Although there were many state and national thanksgiving days
proclaimed in the ensuing years, it was the tireless crusade of one
woman, Sarah Josepha Hale, that finally led to the establishment of this
beautiful feast as an annual nationwide observance. Her editorials so
touched the heart of Abraham Lincoln that in 1863 - even in the midst of
the civil War - he enjoined his countrymen to be mindful of their many
blessings, cautioning them not to forget "the source from which
they come," that they are "the gracious gifts of the Most High
God…" who ought to be thanked "with one heart and one
voice by the whole American People."
It is in that spirit that I now invite all Americans to take part again
in this beautiful tradition with its roots deep in our history and
deeper still in our hearts. We manifest our gratitude to God for the
many blessings he has showered upon our land and upon its people.
In this season of Thanksgiving we are grateful for our abundant
harvests and the productivity of our industries; for the discoveries of
our laboratories; for the researches of our scientists and scholars; for
the achievements of our artists, musicians, writers, clergy, teachers,
physicians, businessmen, engineers, public servants, farmers, mechanics,
artisans, and workers of every sort whose honest toil of mind and body
in a free land rewards them and their families and enriches our entire
Nation.
Let us thank God for our families, friends, and neighbors, and for the
joy of this very festival we celebrate in His name. Let every house of
worship in the land and every home and every heart be filled with the
spirit of gratitude and praise and love on this Thanksgiving Day.
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of
America, in the spirit and tradition of the Pilgrims, the Continental
Congress, and past Presidents, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 28,
1985, as a day of national Thanksgiving. I call upon every citizen of
this great Nation to gather together in homes and places of worship and
offer prayers of praise and gratitude for the many blessings almighty
God has bestowed upon our beloved country.
In Witness Where Of, I have here unto set my hand this fifteenth day of
November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-five, and
of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
tenth.
