Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-11-29
THANKSGIVING DAY.
THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE
DAY OF THANKS.

the Fall of the Year 1868, but the Gus
tom Is a Very Old One and Goes Way
Back.
Thanksgiving day is the American
evolution of a long line of predecessors,
both pagan and Christian. 1t dates as
an annual national holiday from the fall
Of 1868. In that year President Lincoln
| sent message to congress recommend
ing the observance of a national day of
thanksgiving, not only on account of the
victories which had followed the Union
arms, but also for the plentiful harvest.
Since then the custom has taken deep
root in many parts of the United States
where it did not previously exist. Now
it stands unique in history as a day on
which great nation, without respect to
political party or religious creed, ac-
knowledges with thankfulness the con-
tinued prosperity which God has been
pleased to shower upon it.
Over 5000 years ago the Israelites
wandering in the desert were instructed
character to the modern American
Thanksgiving day, when they came to
the Promised Land. 1t was called the
Feast of the Tabernacles and took place
about the end of harvest time.
Later in the worlds history feast
answering the same purpose was held by
the ancient Greeks in honor of Demeter,
the deity who owned the earth in their
eyes. The rallying point for this feast,
which lasted nine days, was at Athens.
All except murderers and barbarians
took part in it.
About the same time of year the Ro-
mans held feast in honor of the god
dess Ceres, who, though of feminine
gender, seems to have presided over their
department of agriculture. The Romans
had no turkeys, and could not, of course,
kill and eat the sacred geese, but man
aged to get along very well on fat capons
and Falernian wine for all that.
More direct in the line of ancestry of
the American Thanksgiving day was the
Saxon harvest home. 1t began as soon
as the crops were saved and lasted till
the moon was at its full. Barbecues of
oxen roasted whole, home brewed ale,
bontires and dancing made up a pro-
gramme not to be sneezed at even by
Nineteenth century folk. But this feast
was rather one held by individual fam
lilies than the realm of England as whole.
The first Thanksgiving held on Amer
lean soil was by the Pilgrim Fathers, in
the year 1921, shortly after they landed
at Plymouth rock. 1t was not very much
of thanksgiving, for they did not feel
that they had very much to be thankful
for, but was rather a revival of the Eng
fish harvest home. Matters were about
the same in 1929, and with much about
the same result in giving thanks. In
1923, however, an expected ship failed to
arrive with provisions when they were
likely to be most wanted, and the pros
poets of famine were SO bright that Gov.
Bradford, acting in the undoubted exer-
else of his prerogative, ordered day to
be set apart for fasting, humiliation and
prayer.
But before the day appointed had
come, provisions turned up all right, and
the day was turned into one of thanks
5A'hiSs III. w LoSlONY Vic VI llAC pr
grims, in a letter gives an interesting ac-
count of this memorable day in Ameri-
can history. The celebration was held
with ''glory, honor and praise, with all
thankfulness to our good God which
deals SO graciously with u.s." Ninety In
dians, headed by King Massasoit, ar
rived at the settlement in the nick of
time and shared in the feast. This cele-
bration was somewhat previous, for not
long after the pilgrims were down to
plain Holsters without bread, and spring
water, (which, said Governor Bradford,
somewhat impaired the freshness of
our compilations" AS well it might.
The Puritan settlers at Nantasket Jared
little better than the Pilgrims some years
later. On Feb. 8, 1881, provisions had
reached vanishing point. The last
flour in the colony was baking in Gov
ernor Winthrop's oven. 1t was the day
appointed for public fast. At the last
moment the ship Lyon was sighted. The
fast was Immediately changed into a
feast. This is generally held as the first
regular Thanksgiving day in New Eng
land.
After this date thanksgivings were
held every now and then, as the occasion
for them arose. A general day of thanks
giving was held in all the churches in
New England on June Is, 1857, to cele-
brate the signal victory over the Pequot
Indians at Fort Mystic. The success of
the synod in settling the religious creed
of all New England was also celebrated
in a special thanksgiving on Oct. - of
the same year.
Forty years later Governor Andres at
tempted to make the New England colo
nists give thanks in obedience to his COM
mands. He appointed the first day of
December, 1897, as a day of thanksgiv-
ing. People were about tired of the gov
ernor's arbitrary ways by this time, and
nobody thanked worth a cent. Several
of those who would not dance to Gov
ernor Andres piping were hauled before
the courts to answer for their contempt.
One sturdy old Puritan answered that
she was above the observation of days
and times"
This was not the last of the high
handed governors attempts to make the
colonists give thanks for things they
didn't want. When James II expected
an heir in direct succession to the Eng
lish throne the stubborn Puritans of New
England We're told to be thankful on
April IS, 1858, that they were to be ruled
by a race of Catholic kings. They
seemed to appreciate the prospect SO lit
tie that Aug. "a in the same year was
also ordained as day of thanksgiving
by the governor to commemorate the
birth of the Inflated wanderer who was
afterward known as the elder pretender.
On this day the colonists weren't any
happier than the pretender would have
been himself ifrtsoould have foreseen his
own future.
Queen Anne gave some more favorable
opportunities of observing national
Thanksgiving. April 5, 1908, was thus
held with great rejoicings to celebrate
the first of Marlborough's victories over
the French in Holland. All the Ameri-
can colonies had a good time on Aug. 2,
1904, when salutes were fired and gen.
eral illuminations were held to 1ommem-
crate the great victory of Blenheim by
the same commander.
Of all the Thanksgiving days held in
| obedience to orders from the English
crown, that of Nov. 10, 1859, touched
most nearly the hearts of the future
| A Al l.