Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1897-11-24
History OF Thanksgiving.

found in the New England annals OF
1921. In the autumn of that year
Governor Bradford, so saith the chror-
icler, sent out men to procure some
game, in order that the New England
Colonists might properly enjoy day
of tn anksgiving in remembrance OF
the fruits of their labors during the
year that had passed. Another day of
rejoicing was set apart and "solemniz-
ed" as "a day of thanksgiving unto
the Lord" after an abundant harvest
in 1922. II is stated that, on this oc-
casion, Massasoit and his council of
braves were invited to participate in
the festivities, and that they did so,
spending three days in feasting
Evidently the Indian friends of the
colonists found Thanksgiving Day a
day to be made the most of.
These Thanksgiving Days were not,
however. of official public character.
The first official public Thanksgiv-
ing Day was not until the yea, 1851;
and even this day was not at first in
tended to be day of rejoicing and
Thanksgiving. 1t had been set apart
as day of fasting and prayer for re-
lief. The colonists were in great dis
tress; famine was imminent; a vessel
laden with provisions, and long at sea,
had not arrived. But just before the
day of fasting came, the snip made
port; and the day was then officially
changed by the authorities from day
of sorrow to a day of thanksgiving
This was the first real Thanksgiving
Day of the American people.
Thanksgiving days were OCCASION
ally observed also in the New Neither
land after this date; but it was not
until February, 1914, that another
official Thanksgiving Day was pro-
claimed. That year Governor Kieft
proclaimed "a day of general thanks
giving" the occasion being the victory
of the colonists over the Indians. At
the conclusion of the peace in 1915,
another Thanksgiving Day was pro
claimed. We are not told that the
Indians were invited to this ceremony.
OCCASIONAL days of fasting, prayer
ap1 Thanksgiving were kept by the
/ various colonists, at different times /,
but no general Thanksgiving Day was
set apart, until ITS, when the Con
tinental Congress adopted the practice
of designating such days. The first
was Thursday, July 90, ITS. The
following Thanksgiving Days were
also suggested by the Continental
Congress: Friday May II, 1776, De-
cember IL, 1776, Wednesday, April %,
ITS, Thursday, May 6, 1879, Wednes-
day, April 6, 1850, Thursday, May 3,
1881, Thursday, April %, 1882. These
days were suggested in the form Of
recommendations to the states, whose
governors were asked to issue proclaim
ations to their peoples for days of
Thanksgiving. Business, with one ex-
ception, was suspended on these oc-
casions. Washington also issued
special proclamation to the Colonial
army for general Thanksgiving Day
on Thursday, December Is, TIT, and
again on May 7, IT'S.
The first national Thanksgiving
Day was, by proclamation of President
Washington, set for Thursday, Nov
ember 26, 1889. The second was set
for Thursday, February 10, 1895.
The honor of the first suggestion
seems to belong to Representative
Elias Boudinot, who moved, in the
house, that the president be requested
TO recommend ga 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 thing might tend to imitation
of frivolities and pomps of kingdoms
and other harmful doing, but the
motion prevailed, and Thursday, Nov
ember 26, 1888, became the first
national Thanksgiving Day Of the
American people.
Other presidents, after Washington,
issued Thanksgiving Day proclama-
tons, from time to time, until now it
is become the annual practice of the
p esident of the United States to name
the last Thursday in November as a
day to be observed by thanksgiving
and prayer. Governors of states issue
their proclamations to correspond,
thus making the observance uniform
throughout the land.
In the New England states Thanks
giving Day has been observed annual
ly for over a century. The custom
has extended to other states, one at a
time, until today it prevails almost
everywhere in the country, and is OBJ
served by Americans in foreign lands
with a sentiment that is not only
religious but patriotic. 1t is legal
holiday also. According to the official
reports on the subject in 1893 there
were, at that date, but eight sections
of the country where Thanksgiving
Day was not recognized: Arkansas,
Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Louis
lana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Utah.
The rest of the Union had adopted
the gennral custom. Latest reports
(1S9D show that there are now but
three sections in which Thanksgiving
Day is not officially recognized, Ala
bama, Louisiana, Mississippi.