Lincoln and Thanksgiving: The Origin of an American Holiday | 5 Minute Videos | PragerU

in Plymouth Massachusetts in the Autumn of 1621 53 men women and children celebrated their first harvest in the new world the Great Indian chief masasa brought 90 of his men to the three-day party from all reports a good time was had by all how did this event which happened almost 400 years ago become a part of the American story and our oldest National tradition credit goes to many people but two stand out one you know and one you should know Abraham Lincoln and Sarah Joseph hail more on both in a moment as a religious people Americans have always had a keen sense they have been blessed by Providence the pilgrims certainly felt this and so did subsequent Generations including George Washington Washington was the first president to declare a national day of public Thanksgiving and praise but it was n until the Civil War that the idea of a national day of Thanksgiving fully took hold in the Autumn of 1863 at the height of the Civil War when Americans were bitterly divided Abraham Lincoln nevertheless called for a day of national Thanksgiving Lincoln began his Proclamation this way the year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies this was an extra extraordinary way to characterize 1863 the bloodiest year of the war but even in the midst of a civil war of unequal severity and magnitude Lincoln continued the nation had much to be thankful for and much to look forward to the day was coming when America would again be United and experience as Lincoln put it a large increase of Freedom it was a profoundly hopeful message reminding Americans of their nation's capacity for r Lincoln's decision to call for a national Thanksgiving came at the urging of a farsighted and persistent magazine editor who believes such a celebration would have a deep moral influence on the American character her name was Sarah Joseph hail more than any single person she is the reason we celebrate Thanksgiving today by the 1840s many states had established an annual day of Thanksgiving but the date varied widely from state to state hail saw the value of a day in which the entire nation celebrated as one for two decades she conducted a campaign to consolidate public support for her idea as the influential editor of one of the most popular periodical of the 19 century year after year she wrote columns making the case for the holiday she published fiction and poems with a Thanksgiving Day theme and she offered her readers recipes for traditional Thanksgiving dishes such as roast tur turkey and pumpkin pie and by the way she also wrote the nursery rhyme Mary had a little lamb presidents Zachary Taylor Millard Filmore and Franklin Pierce to whom she had written letters showed little interest in her cause but L Lincoln saw its potential his Proclamation was the first in what became an unbroken string of annual Thanksgiving proclamations by every subsequent president Congress finally sealed the deal in 1941 when President Franklin Roosevelt signed legislation making Thanksgiving an official national holiday Lincoln and hail believed the act of expressing gratitude had tremendous healing power in his Thanksgiving Proclamation Lincoln spoke not as commanderin-chief of the Union forces but as president of the entire nation north and south he made no reference to Rebels or enemies rather the president spoke of the whole American people it's a message that resonates today when Americans even within families are divided over issues of politics and culture Thanksgiving our nation's oldest tradition brings us together just as it brought the pilgrims and Indians together in 1621 Lincoln said it best when he called on every American to celebrate Thanksgiving with one heart and one voice Thanksgiving gives us a moment to focus on the blessings of being Americans on the prosperity security and freedom we enjoy if Lincoln could focus on these blessings in the middle of the Civil War we should certainly be able to do so today here's a suggestion at this year's Thanksgiving table ask everyone to spend a minute to say what they are grateful for I suspect you'll find your guests will have a long and eloquent list and if they don't you can help them out suggest they start with family friends and living in the freest country in the world after all if we don't give thanks what's the point of Thanksgiving I'm Melanie Kirkpatrick senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and author of Thanksgiving the holiday at the heart of the American Experience for Prager University thank you for watching this video to help keep prageru videos free please consider making a tax deductible donation