|
THE FIRST
THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION - JUNE 20, 1676:
"The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series of his
Afflictive dispensations in and by the present Warr with the Heathen
Natives of this land, written and brought to pass bitter things
against his own Covenant people in this wilderness, yet so that we
evidently discern that in the midst of his judgements he hath
remembered mercy, having remembered his Footstool in the day of his
sore displeasure against us for our sins, with many singular
Intimations of his Fatherly Compassion, and regard; reserving many
of our Towns from Desolation Threatened, and attempted by the Enemy,
and giving us especially of late with many of our Confederates many
signal Advantages against them, without such Disadvantage to
ourselves as formerly we have been sensible of, if it be the Lord's
mercy that we are not consumed, It certainly bespeaks our positive
Thankfulness, when our Enemies are in any measure disappointed or
destroyed; and fearing the Lord should take notice under so many
Intimations of his returning mercy, we should be found an Insensible
people, as not standing before Him with Thanksgiving, as well as
lading him with our Complaints in the time of pressing Afflictions:
The Council has thought meet to appoint and set apart the 29th day
of this instant June, as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving and praise to
God for such his Goodness and Favour, many Particulars of which
mercy might be Instanced, but we doubt not those who are sensible of
God's Afflictions, have been as diligent to espy him returning to
us; and that the Lord may behold us as a People offering Praise and
thereby glorifying Him; the Council doth commend it to the
Respective Ministers, Elders and people of this Jurisdiction;
Solemnly and seriously to keep the same Beseeching that being
perswaded by the mercies of God we may all, even this whole people
offer up our bodies and soulds as a living and acceptable Service
unto God by Jesus Christ."
Thanksgiving Day Proclamation by President of the United States of
America
Nearly half a century ago, President Dwight Eisenhower proclaimed
Thanksgiving as a time when Americans should celebrate "the
plentiful yield of our soil . . . the beauty of our land . . . the
preservation of those ideals of liberty and justice that form the
basis of our national life, and the hope of international peace."
Now, in the painful aftermath of the September 11 attacks and in the
midst of our resolute war on terrorism, President Eisenhower's
hopeful words point us to our collective obligation to defend the
enduring principles of freedom that form the foundation of our
Republic.
During these extraordinary times, we find particular assurance from
our Thanksgiving tradition, which reminds us that we, as a people
and individually, always have reason to hope and trust in God,
despite great adversity. In 1621 in New England, the Pilgrims gave
thanks to God, in whom they placed their hope, even though a bitter
winter had taken many of their brethren. In the winter of 1777,
General George Washington and his army, having just suffered great
misfortune, stopped near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to give thanks
to God. And there, in the throes of great difficulty, they found the
hope they needed to persevere. That hope in freedom eventually
inspired them to victory.
In 1789, President Washington, recollecting the countless blessings
for which our new Nation should give thanks, declared the first
National Day of Thanksgiving. And decades later, with the Nation
embroiled in a bloody civil war, President Abraham Lincoln revived
what is now an annual tradition of issuing a presidential
proclamation of Thanksgiving. President Lincoln asked God 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."
As we recover from the terrible tragedies of September 11, Americans
of every belief and heritage give thanks to God for the many
blessings we enjoy as a free, faithful, and fair-minded land. Let us
particularly give thanks for the self-less sacrifices of those who
responded in service to others after the terrorist attacks, setting
aside their own safety as they reached out to help their neighbors.
Let us also give thanks for our leaders at every level who have
planned and coordinated the myriad of responses needed to address
this unprecedented national crisis. And let us give thanks for the
millions of people of faith who have opened their hearts to those in
need with love and prayer, bringing us a deeper unity and stronger
resolve.
In thankfulness and humility, we acknowledge, especially now, our
dependence on One greater than ourselves. On this day of
Thanksgiving, let our thanksgiving be revealed in the compassionate
support we render to our fellow citizens who are grieving
unimaginable loss; and let us reach out with care to those in need
of food, shelter, and words of hope. May Almighty God, who is our
refuge and our strength in this time of trouble, watch over our
homeland, protect us, and grant us patience, resolve, and wisdom in
all that is to come.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, 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
22, 2001, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage Americans
to assemble in their homes, places of worship, or community centers
to reinforce ties of family and community, express our profound
thanks for the many blessings we enjoy, and reach out in true
gratitude and friendship to our friends around the world.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day
of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand one, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-sixth.
GEORGE W. BUSH |
