Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-24
THANK SOWING DAY
How a Great National Holiday Grew
From the Act Of a MASSACHUSETTS
Governor In the Infancy Of
the United States
WHEN, after the ingatherins of the first


w harvest in new world, Governor
Bradford sent four men out to shoot Wild
| fowl in order that the infant colony might
after more special manner rejoice to-
gether,' neither he nor any member of that
colony had any idea to what that pious
act would grow, or that he was then making
the first Of one of the important national
holidays of the great country that was to be.
An account Of the first Thanksgiving Day
written by Edward Winslow, whose name
stands third as one of the original signers
OF the compact made in the cabin of the
Mayfower, and who was three times Gov
crnor, reads as follows after q description
of the success Of the harvest
''Our harvest being gotten in. our Gov
ernor sent four men on fowling, SO that
we might. after q special manner rejoice
together after we had gathered the fruit Of
our labors.
'TTN1IE four in one day killed as many
fowl as, with little help besides,
served the company for almost a week, at
which time, amongst other recreations we
exercised our arms, many of the Indians
coming amongst us, and among the rest,
their greatest king. Massasoit. with some
ninety-men whom for three days, we en-
tertained and feasted; and they went out
and killed five deer, which they brought to
the plantation and bestowed on our Gov
ernor and on the captain and the others.
And although II is not always as plenti-
ful rs It Is Mt this time with us, yet, by
the goodness of God, we are SO far from
want, that we wish you partakers Of our
plenty"
The Puritans had an adherence of Ger.
tain of the holidays which their descendants
later accepted. Among these was Christ
mas: They therefore welcomed some par
ticular day in the year which the people
might keep as Il holiday and manifest
their thankfulness to the Creator for the
mercies and favors Of their lives.
THANKSGIVING is still the great holi
l. day of the year for New England 1t
became by degrees an established institution
of the State Of Massachusetts. the precise
day being fixed and its faithful observance
enforced by special legislation. The time,
however, was not uniform in all the New
England States; in two Of them the day
was set for the Thursday preceding the
last Thursday Of the month of November,
and In the others among them Mnssachu-
sets and Connecticut, 1t was set for the
last Thursday. the day which almost $50
years later was adopted by the entire Union.
As originally established Thanksgiving
was distinctivcly a day of religious observ-
ance. But this was soon changed, and the
occasion, even in early times, was con-
sidered an appropriate one for family
reunions-a custom which was speedily
adopted by other States and which still
prevails to a very considerable extent all
over the country.
to the third year of the Revolution, although
this was a special occasion for the giving
of thanks for the signal success lately
obtained over the enemies of these United
States and there was 10 thought then of
Il yearly holiday on that date. 1t was
observed December 1S, 1777. 4 second day
of like character was observed December 80
of the following year.
SPECIAL days of Thanksgiving were also
4 y -
failure of the treason Of Benedict Arnold"
and on December 80, 1871. for the capture
of Lord Cofnwalis and his army. These
were all special occasions, rs were some
| other Thanksgiving fixed by Congress, but
they doubtless had much to do with the
formation of popular sentiment. which. in
years to come, was to CryStalliZe and to
| declare Rs n national holiday the original
day Of the Massachusetts and Connecticut
| colonies.
The first Thanksgiving Day to be fixed
| by presidential proclamation was February
~, 1875, and the proclamation was signed
| by George Washington. The document de-
| clarcs It TO be "day OF public thanks
! giving and prayer and to render
sincere and hearty thanks TO the ruler. of
nations for the manifold and signal mercies
| which distinguish our lot as Il nation.
But there was still no thought Of an
annual national holiday, and in 1915 Presi-
| dent Madison set aside the 18th of April
| IN uuy OF tIhNKSKlNlnR more especially
for the restoration of peace" the second
| war with Great Britain having just closed.
| DURING the Civil War there were several
- special Thanksgiving Days of varying
dates as to month and day. but in 1864
| President Lincoln began the custom, or
| rather reverted to 1t. Of fixing the date
near the end of November and this has been
| followed ever since. II is significant Of
Thanksgiving Day that Washington issued
q the first national proclamation and that
| Lincoln set the example for al annual
national day for the purpose of giving
thanks for the blessings Of which our Nation
has ever been II recipient. Every President
has since followed this precedent.
The South never celebrated Thanksgiving
Virginia IN 1885. Governor Johns in q
| letter 10 the Legislature urged that the
day be adopted, but the Legislature did not
| look with favor upon the proposition, and
the Governor accordingly did not issue the
| proclamation.
DUBLTC interest in the matter had been
l. aroused by this time throughout not
only the State Of Virginia, but most Of the
other Southern States. \ spirited debate
was carried ON. largely In the newspapers,
| rs to the merits Of the holiday. The af-
! iirmative side seemed TO have the better Of
the argument, and in 1857 Governor Wise
Of Virginia. issued n Thanksgiving Day
| proclamation for which he was fercely de-
nouncrd by many Of the influential Southern
newspapers, which declared Thanksgiving to
be "a relic Of Puritanic bigotry"
Nevertheless. the people of the State SUP.
ported his action and in the following year
! Thanksgiving proclamations were issued by
the Governors Of eight of the Southern
States. and the custom gradually spread to
| the others.
A philadelphia woman, Mrs. Sarah
JoRepha Hale, played an important part in
obtaining national sanction for the holiday.
As edito: Of Godcy's I.ady's Book she
waged Il vigorous campaign for the cstab
lshment Of II fixed date for THANKSGIVING
| Day. She wrote constantly to the Governors
OF the various States. beginning her work
about 1s4l. by 1850 twenty five Of the
States had set apart the last Thursday Of
| Nnrnmhnr As the hOlidaN. Mr. Hale Lnu--