Thanksgiving 1782-1863

 

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Thanksgiving Proclamations in the Early Republic

The Continental Congress issued several ‘national days of prayer, humiliation, and thanksgiving’... a practice continued by Washington and Adams under the constitution. This proclamation was published in “The Independent Gazetteer” on November 5, 1782.

“… Do hereby recommend it 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-EIGHTH 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 their gratitude to God for His goodness by a cheerful obedience to 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…”

 November 26, 1789: George Washington Calls for Day of Thanksgiving

George Washington, now serving as the first President of the United States, took Congress’s recommendation to call for a National Day of Thanksgiving and prayer in gratitude for the end of the Revolutionary War. Washington observed the holiday by attending church and then donating money and food to prisoners and debtors in New York City jails.

 Presidents Washington, John Adams, James Madison renewed the tradition, followed by a campaign by Sara Hale in 1846 to make Thanksgiving a national holiday.

President Abraham Lincoln followed up during the Civil War celebrating National Thanksgiving Day on the final Thursday 26 Nov 1863 which was written up in a document by his Secretary of State William H. Seward. “…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…”

A True American Tradition - Thanksgiving

https://historyofmassachusetts.org

Thanksgiving is truly an American tradition. I was listening to a program last night, and it was brought to my attention how little our society today really knows about Thanksgiving and why we have this special day of thanks. It seems that most people feel it is for eating and watching football, which are all part of what we do today. The true reason for the holiday is rooted deep in American history and should not be forgotten by the American people. My people were well rooted in America when this Holdiay became a recognized as a National Day of Celebration.

I did some research using the two following sources: 
https://www.history.com/news/thanksgiving-timeline
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)

and here is what I found. 
There’s no holiday that’s more quintessentially American than Thanksgiving.

In 1541, the Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado accompanied by 1500 armored men left Mexico City and marched north in search of gold. They camped in Palo Duro Canyon and their priest Juan de Padilla called for a feast of prayer and thanksgiving.

In 1598, in a second Texas town a wealthy Spanish dignitary Juan de Oñate was granted land among the pueblo Indians as he blazed a path across the Chihuahau Desert. After 10 days of rest near San Elizario, Texas, Oñate ordered a feast of thanksgiving. "We built a great bonfire and roasted the meat and fish, and then all sat down to a repast the like of which we had never enjoyed before…We were happy that our trials were over; as happy as were the passengers in the Ark when they saw the dove returning with the olive branch in his beak, bringing tidings that the deluge had subsided."

In 1607, English colonists at Fort St. George assemble for a harvest feast and prayer meeting with the Abenaki Indians in Maine.

In 1621: The Plymouth Feast. Archive evidence comes from a letter from Plymouth colonist Edward Winslow that the colonists wanted to celebrate their first good crop of corn and barley grown with generous assistance from the native Wampanoag Indians. So the English colonists sent out four men to kill “as much fowl” as they could in one day, and invited King Massasoit and 90 of his men “so we might after a more special manner rejoice together.” The king brought five deer to the three-day party, which 19th-century New Englanders would later promote as the origin of modern Thanksgiving.

William Bradford, in “Of Plymouth Plantation” documents much about this harvest that became the first Thanksgiving.

  TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW.

A Royal Colony

Virginia was a Royal Colony

During the Life of Christopher Vineyard

https://www.hpsd.k12.pa.us/archives/clausen/flags/colonial/images/C05.jpg    

                     

Virginia was a royal colony, meaning it was under the direct control of the British Crown. The governor, appointed by the king, held significant power and was responsible for enforcing British laws. The House of Burgesses, an elected assembly, played a role in local governance and legislation. However, ultimate authority rested with the British government.

Despite being a British colony, Virginia had a distinct culture that blended British traditions with local influences. Religion played a significant role, with the Anglican Church being the established church of the colony. Education was limited, with only a few schools available, primarily for the elite. However, informal education through apprenticeships and home-based learning was common.

 Virginia was a royal colony, meaning it was under the direct control of the British Crown. The governor, appointed by the king, held significant power and was responsible for enforcing British laws. The House of Burgesses, an elected assembly, played a role in local governance and legislation. However, ultimate authority rested with the British government.

Despite being a British colony, Virginia had a distinct culture that blended British traditions with local influences. Religion played a significant role, with the Anglican Church being the established church of the colony. Education was limited, with only a few schools available, primarily for the elite. However, informal education through apprenticeships and home-based learning was common.

 Virginia played a crucial role in shaping the political landscape of the American colonies. The House of Burgesses, established in 1619, was the first representative assembly in the English colonies. It provided a platform for colonists to voice their concerns and participate in decision-making. Prominent figures like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson emerged from Virginia, contributing to the American Revolution and the formation of the United States.