The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-11-05
SCRANTON, MISSISSIPPI FRIDAY NOVEMBER 1897
THE HISTORY OF THANKS.
GIVING DAY.
HOW 1T GREW FROM THE EARLIEST
COLONIAL TINES.

GlNlN0 DAY.
HOW 1T GREW FROM THE EARLIEST
COLONIAL TINES.
The earliest record which we hate
OF an American Thanksgiving day Is |
found in the New England annals OF
1921. In the autumn OF that year
Governor Bradford, so saith the
chrOnicler, sent out men To procure
some game, In order that the New
England colonists might properly en-.
Joy a day Of thanksgiving In retnem-
brancc OF the fruits Of their labors
during the year that had passed. An
other day OF rejoicing was set apart
and "solemnizcd" as "a day OF thanks.
giving unto the Lord" after an abun.
dant harvest in 1922. Its stated that,
On this occasion Massas0it and his |
council OF braves were invited to par.
ticipate In the festivities, and that
they did so, spending three days in
feasting. Evidently the Indian
friends OF the cOlonists found thanks.
giving day a day to be made the most
OF.
These Thanksgiving days were not,
however, OF offitial character. The
first Official public Thanksgiving day
was not until the year 1881; and even
this day was not at first intended to
be day OF rejoicing and thanksgiv-
ing. 1t had been set apart as a day
Of fasting and prayer for relief. The
cOlonists were in great distress; FAM
inc was imminent; vessel laden with
provisions, and long at sea, had not
arrived. But just before the day OF
fasting came the ship made port; and
the day was then officially changed by
the authorities from day OF sorrow
to a day Of Thanksgiving. This was
the flrst real Thanksgiving day Of the
American people.
Thanksgiving days were occasion.
ally observed also in the New Meth.
erland after this date, but it was not
until February, 1914, that another
official Thanksgiving day was pro-
claimed. That year Governor Kieft
proclaimed IA day Of general thanks.
giving" the occasion being the victo.
ry Of the colonists over the Indians.
At the conclusion Of the peace in |
l645, another Thanksgiving day was
proclaimed. We are not told that the
Indians were invited to this cere.
mOny.
Occasional days of fasting, prayer
and thanksgiving were kept by the
various colonists at different times,
but no general thanksgiving day was
set apart until l775, when the conti-
mental congress adopted the practice
OF designating such days. The first
was Thursday, July 20, l775. The fol-
lowing Thanksgiving days were also
suggested by the continental congress;
Friday, May II, l776; December II,
l776; Wednesday. April q, 1878;
Thursday, May 6, l779; Wednesday,
April 6, 1880; Thursday, May 3, 1881;
Thursday, April 25, 1882. These days
we're suggested in the form Of recon-.
mendations to the States, whose gov.
ernors were asked to issue proclama.
tions to their peoples for days OF
thanksgiving. Business, with one
exception, was suspended on these
occasions. Washington also issued
special proclamation to the colonial
army for a general thanksgiving day
on Thursday, December 1S, lii, and
again ON May7. l77S.
The first national Thanksgiving
day was, by proclamation Of President
Washington, set for Thursday, No
vember %, 1889. The second was set
for Thursday, February 10, 1895. The
honor Of the first suggestion seems to
belong TO Representative Elias BOu.
dinot, who moved, In the house, that
the President be requested to recon.
mend IA day Of Thanksgiving and
prayer, to be observed by the people
Of the United States" There was
some opposition to the motion, the
objections advanced being that such
a thing might tend to imitation OF
the frivolities and pomps OF kingdoms
and other harmful doing; but the mo.
tion prevailed, and Thursday, NOvem-
ber %, 1889, became the first national
Thanksgiving day Of the American
people.
Other presidents, after Washing.
ton, issued Thanksgiving day procla.
matiOus, from time to time; until now
1t is become the annual pract'ce OF
the president Of the United States to
name the last Thursday In November
as the day to be observed by thanks
giving and prayer. Governors Of
States issue their proclamations to
correspond, thus making the obser.
vance uniform throughout the land.
In the New England States Thanks.
giving day has been observed annu.
ally for over a century. The custom
has extended to other States. one at
time, until to-day, 1t prevails al.
most everywhere In the country, and
) IL observed by Americans In foreign
lands with n sentiment that Is not
only religious but patriotic. It 10
legal holiday also. According to the
onicial reports on the subject In 1891
there were. at that date, hut eight
!, sections NJ the country where Thanks.
giving day was mot rec0gnIzcd: Ar
kansas, Colorado, Delaware. Georgia,