Thanksgiving

The Meaning Behind Thanksgiving

In 1620 the Pilgrims left Plymouth, England, as they sought both civil and religious liberty.

On December 11, just before disembarking at Plymouth Rock, they signed the Mayflower Compact-America's first document of civil government, and the first to proclaim self-government. Nearly half died from starvation and sickness in the harsh winter. Yet persevering in prayer and helped by local Indians, they reaped a bountiful harvest the following summer.

They started America's first Thanksgiving festival to give thanks to God. In 1789, President George Washington issued a proclamation for a national thanksgiving to God. For 30 years, Mrs. Sarah Hale promoted the idea of a national Thanksgiving Day. Finally, in 1863 President Lincoln set aside the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day.

President Lincoln had just been touched by God's love at the Battle of Gettysburg. Lincoln said, "When I left Springfield [to assume the presidency] I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son-the severest trial of my life-I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ."

“I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are 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 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 imposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purpose, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and union.” -President Abraham Lincoln, Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, October 2, 1863.

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