On this day in history, October 3, 1863, Lincoln issues powerful Thanksgiving proclamation
On October 3, 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation establishing Thanksgiving as a national holiday to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26. This proclamation was a significant moment in American history, as it unified the country and provided a time for Americans to come together and express gratitude for their blessings.
The proclamation, which was a result of years of campaigning by Sarah Josepha Hale, emphasized the importance of thanksgiving as a day of unity and prayer. Lincoln’s words, “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,” set the tone for a holiday that would become an integral part of American culture.
