While Thanksgiving has become a well-established American tradition, many people may not realize that it wasn’t always a national holiday. That changed in 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation during the heart of the Civil War, calling on Americans to observe a national day of Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November. This historic act laid the foundation for the holiday as we know it today.
Lincoln’s proclamation came at a time of deep division and suffering. Yet, he noted the many blessings still enjoyed by the nation: peace with foreign powers, growing industry and agriculture, and an increasing population, even amid the hardships of war. He credited these blessings not to human effort, but to “the gracious gifts of the Most High God,” and urged all Americans to acknowledge them “as with one heart and one voice.”
Importantly, Lincoln’s message went beyond gratitude. He called on the nation to remember “widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers” affected by the war, and to seek healing and unity under divine guidance. His words reflected a belief that even in the nation’s darkest hour, thankfulness and humility were not only possible but necessary. It was a powerful reminder of the strength that comes from shared reflection and purpose.
This act, prompted by decades of advocacy from Sarah Josepha Hale, marked the first time Thanksgiving was nationally observed on a consistent date. Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation is widely recognized as the moment Thanksgiving became a unifying national tradition, one that continues to bring Americans together each November.
Wishing you and your family a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!
The full text of President Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation appears below for those who wish to read it in its entirety, it’s truly a timeless piece of American history and leadership.
