The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-11-23
BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON

!. !: !. !: ;. J. :
HMT HEN, where and by whom was
the first Thanksgiving day cele
AMI brated in the United States?
~ w why, by the Pilgrims at Ply
MSV ~ \ mouth in 1921, of course !" you
Va reply.
But you're wrong!
Its true that the Pilgrim Fa-
Tiers held Thanksgiving day
celebration that year, but since Plymouth
English colony it isn't strictly accurate to say
that it was celebrated ain the United States" be-
cause the United States of America didn't come
into existence until more than $50 years later
The first Thanksgiving day celebration held
after we had become a nation took place in
1889 and 1t is more analogous to our present
day observance of the holiday than the Pilgrims
Thanksgiving because it came about as the re-
suit Of a Presidential proclamation. Most Amer
leans know that it was George Washington who
issued the first Presidential Thanksgiving day
proclamation but few perhaps, realize that the
idea originated in the mind of Alexander Hamil-
ton, our first secretary Of the treasury, and that
the first official step toward carrying 1t out was
taken by congress rather than by the Chief
Executive
Last year while Col Edwin A. Halsey, secre-
tary of the United States senate, and James d.
Preston, senate librarian, were unearthing many
old documents which date back to the beginnings
of the republic and having these manuscripts
restored and bound In specially designed books
to preserve them for future generations, they
came upon the congressional resolution which
brought about the first official Thanksgiving day
celebration in the United States.
The story back of this historic first" Is in
teresting, even though 1t Is not story in which
we can take much pride any more than we can
be especially proud of the celebration which re-
suited. Involved In 1t is the story Of the jeal-
ousy of two great Americans, Alexander Ham
ilton and Thomas Jefferson, a story In which
politics. as usual played a none too admirable
part.
The idea of Thanksgiving day celebration
originated with Alexander Hamilton who
preached the subject at meeting Of Washing
tons cabinet in New York city, then the capital
Of the nation, In August, 1889. Hamilton,
prime mover in securing the adoption of the
Constitution, had succeeded in getting his own
state of New York to ratify 1t and this made
sufficient number of acceptances even though
North Carolina and Rhode Island were still out
side the fold, to assure the permanence Of the
new government So Hamilton must have felt
that the nation, as well he personally, had
cause for thanksgiving.
It is probable that Hamilton instead of press
ing the matter In the cabinet where 1t was GER
tain to meet with opposition from Thomas JEFF
ferson, the secretary of state and Hamilton's
political enemy, engineered the matter that
the movement for national Thanksgiving day
would come from congress. At any rate, on FRI
day, September %, 1889, Elias Boudinot, men,
Der of congress from New Jersey. took the floor
of the house of representatives and offered
resolution calling upon the President to issue
Thanksgiving day proclamation.
In moving that the resolution be adopted, Bou-
dinot said that he could not think of letting
the session pass over without offering an oppor-
tunity to all the citizens Of the United States Of
joining, with one voice, in returning to Almighty
God their sincere thanks for the many blessings
He had poured down upon them"
Boudinots resolution was not unexpected and
Jeferson's supporters In congress, principally
southerners, Immediately made known their OPP
position to the idea Representative Aedamus
Burke of South Carolina declared that he Ibid
not like this mimicking Of European customs,
where they made a mere mockery Of thanks
giving" He pointed out that "two parties at
war frequently sung TIE Deum for the same
event though for one it was victory and to the
other a defeat"
Representative Thomas Tudor Tucker Of South
Carolina thought the House had no business
to interfere in a matter which did not concern
them" He suggested that the people might not
"be inclined to return thanks for Constitution
until they have experienced that 1t promotes