Show EARLY thanksgiving thanksgiving in the early days daya of our history hast tory was not confined to the new england pioneers alone just 18 16 years after winthrops proclamation that is in 1645 governor of the dutch colony chen known as 1 nieuw amsterdam tout but now as new york ordered says a Calli fornia writer the observance of a day of rejoicing and thanks for the rest and peace which god haa had been pleased to bestow upon his servants thus we see that the feast of thanksgiving Is not as generally supposed a peculiarly puritan furl institution but is equally deril derived ved from the stalwart burghers of manhattan island the next notable thanksgiving day in his tory fell to lin 1768 1758 on oh that date the british and ool colonial army number ing men and commanded by general forbs forbes attacked attached and captured from the french atter after a fierce afterpe struggle fort duquesne eane alt a the junction ot of the allegheny land ravers the name of the place was changed to fort put and was the nucleus ot of the city of pittsburg pit ts burg thus to ft a special sense the history of the great capital of the coal and iron industries to ta connected with the celebration of thanksgiving day at the time the british were conquering fort duquesne eane whitefield the famous methodist preacher called up upon all adherents in jn london to pota pain a service of praise and thanksgiving for the victories of the engman armson anna on land and sea this british thanas gyving was we are told widely observed and awakened intense enthusiasm not only among the methodists but throughout all the different sects idea was afterward on several occa alons revived tn in england byr instance inu 1814 the government proclaimed a general thanksgiving tor for use the victory of waterloo Water loio again two years later in 1816 was made of a popular thanksgiving tor for the restoration tor to of peace after the crimean war a third jubilation Jubil atton of this nature took place but meanwhile in new england what had been begun as an occasional day of pious rejoicing had assumed the of a fixed national hollday in massachusetts and new hampshire it was waa especially popular there was at first great latil latitude tude in regard to the day selected for the feast governors proclaimed the chosen date arbitrarily and rw no effort was made to keep the anniversary adversary an of winthrops proclamation sometimes thanksgiving occurred in july some sometimes bimes to ft midwinter at length through the forts of the president and prof protea essora aona wc QC harvard Har viard college tt it was practically fixed upon the last thursday in Novem november bW the college faculty were moved to interest themselves to in the question by br the fact that the nty regarding dlUg the date caused disorder among their pupils boys bronx different states celebrated on days many of lof them returning home hohle to eat the thanksgiving meal under their rooftrees roof trees this ahls very undesirable state of affairs could only be put a stop to bo said the grave harvard dons bk bj the formal establishment of a uniform sate date for the feast the lat last Thurs thursday dar osithe ot adhe eleventh month suited the th andi ad influence fluence i being brought ix b beian ear upon the colonial governors of new FAW england land p proclamations were issued kaiding aba day the regular thanksgiving r in the W an an annual festival remained I 1 pra eticy caay unknown until gani ginian an controversy oni ani the precipitated this controversy ach which is not generally general 17 known a brief notice the governor trove mor of at the time was one johne a and broad mended g always entertained a reve reverence tests puritan which was means meana common below maaen ons lons line governor aniie va tf sv after er to ito the state abate lefft iad r om mended the or I 1 giving in virginia and offered to in hs reco proved satisfactory to lo 10 at once issue a proclamation but the of washingto Washington fa state did not look upon the nier E enig hamd holiday with favor governor johne was advised advie ed not to make the land emd as he be dad not doo do so 0 o the maitner was 91 allowed jawad temporary to obo drop but public had been awakened baad laad before bellore 1000 0 a fierce de debate lyate was in between bei tween the aind of the pro presed sed ed southern ru 1 a ing at last laet in 1867 Gover fiti JIA johns TAS toik toek the al bull by the horns and issued a proclamation claar cla mation ration apart a day for the feast his action caused much angry and several newspapers declared that thanksgiving was simply a relic of Purit amic Mg ortry in spite of taie the innovation was welcomed the hospitable greeted gladly another holiday hotl day stud anid the dw nor northeim therm feast soon eoon ranked among them as second in importance only to tx the glorious fourth itself ion in 1858 the year after wises wi sea aw jo less lees than ithan eight gov aernots of sou states proclaimed thanksgiving in their sec sect toa tims the war however coming afterward pi the popularity of the holiday la in dixie but it has become a loved n in the middle western and northwestern states eared americans Amerl cans too crug to its celebration and every Mo november vember sees dinners in london paris berlin rome or wherever some of the scattered children of uncle sem sam may chance to bo sojourn indeed mr william williaim astor aster chanler the che well weal known explorer tells telle of a dinner which he enjoyed in the very heart ot of darkest africa tradition makes thanksgiving in this country a legacy ot of the pilgrims and puritans ur itans but ut it was not only the english colonies but those of the new netherlands also which made attempt at yearly celebration of a day of general gratitude this week of recreation observed by the plymouth pilgrims was undoubtedly much enhanced by priscilla Pria cUla molins rare culinary achievements when pro vt triona were at a low ebb her deft hands prepared many an appetizing diab of the plainest stores and the common house under her superintendence was fi 9 scene of banqueting gentle dame brewster whom priscilla loved so tenderly was strengthened much by her kind ministrations naturally john al deh had his share and in vain miles Ot Andish sought to be first with the far fair maid who prepared the viands there is in a coincidence in this statement in youngs chronicle of massachusetts chu the first the first thanksgiving dayon day on record in the colony of massachusetts was held february 22 1631 1681 on that day a century afterward was born george washington at that early time all the circumstances surrounding rounding aur our the colonists were extremely sad gad winter was approaching and starvation seemed imminent the envoy mr pearce who had bad gone to ireland to procure stores had not been heard from and fear grew almost admos t to a certainty that the vessel had been shipwrecked or taken by the pirates it deemed almost a satire then to appoint a day of fasting but before day had passed the longed for vowel vessel put in an appearance laden with stores and their hearts were made glad by news from the loved ones in toe distant fatherland voices rose in a triumphant burst of thanksgiving instead of lamentation and of such has been the day ever since in 1876 1675 the year in the history of new england ZIn gland when the colonists mourned their dead sac rifled to indian ferocity that pregnant silence which speaks as no words can fell upon everything wars and rumors of wars were sad realities which blotted out the memories of all previous privations and sufferings the ever present was now more than the settlers could grapple with that year they kept no thanksgiving in connecticut colony the next year light broke and thanksgiving was again celebrated the following is the first thanksgiving proclamation issued by washington in 1796 1795 idy by the president of th the united states of at america A proclamation when we review the calamities which afflict so many other nations the present condition of the united states affords much matter of consolation and satisfaction our exemption hitherto from foreign war an increasing prospect of the continuance of that exemption the great degree of internal tranquility we have enjoyed the recent confirmation of that tranquility by the sup suppression of an insurrection which so wantonly threatened it the happy course of our public affairs in general the unexampled prosperity of all classes of our citizens are circumstances which peculiarly culi arly mark our situation with indications of the divine beneficence towards us in such a state of things it is in an especial manner our duty as a 9 people with devout reverence and affectionate gratitude to acknowledge our many and great obligations to almighty god and to implore him to continue and confirm the blessings we experience peri ence deeply penetrated with this sentiment I 1 george washington president of the united states do recommend to all religious societies and denominations and to all persons whomsoever within the united states to set apart and observe thursday the nineteenth day of february next as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer and on that day to meet together and render their sincere and hearty thanks to the great ruler of nations for the manifold and signal mercies which distin golsh our lot as a nation particularly tor for the possession of constitutions of government which united and by their union establish liberty with order for the preservation of our peace foreign and domestic for the seasonable control which has been given to a spirit of d disorder in the suppression of the late insurrection and generally for the prosperous course of our affairs public and private and at the same time humbly and fervently to beseech the kind author of these blessings graciously to prolong them to us to imprint on our hearts a deep and solemn sense of our obligations to him for them to teach us rightly to estimate their immense value to preserve us from the arrogance of prosperity and from hazarding the advantages we enjoy by delusive pursuits to dispose us to merit the continuance of his favors by not abusing them by our gratitude for them and by a orres correspondent conduct as citizens ind and as men to render this country more and more a safe and propitious asylum for the unfortunate of other countries to extend among us true and useful knowledge to diffuse and establish habits of sobriety order morality and piety and anally to impart all the blessings we possess or ask for ourselves to the whole family of mankind in testimony whereof I 1 have caused the seal of the united states of america to be affixed to these presents and signed the same with my hand done at the city of philadelphia the first day clay of january one thousand seven hundred and ninety five and of the independence of the united states of america the nineteenth by the president edw randolph G washington when in the year of grace 1630 sturdy governor john winthrop Wira and the puritan colonists of massachusetts proclaimed aind duly observed a public thanksgiving they probably had little idea of the Import importance anoe which that festival was destined to obtain in in the history of america the first thanksgiving differed very materially from its successors tn hi that it was proclaimed las a fast and not mot as a feast supplies had run short the ships expected from england were de bayed and extinction threatened the governor and company of massachusetts bay in new england wintrop and his council decided to hold a day of prayer and abstinence so that ye lorde dorde be and looke upon his servants with favor in that they hilve have humbled themselves before mm ac a crier was sent about the primitive settlement of charlestown Charles town and the colonists were each and aind all invited to take part in the cast their sacrifice met with speedy rewa reward rd scarcely had the noon hour of the ill blotted day arrived when the tong hoped for ship made its welcome appearance pe arance in massachusetts bay the cargo was landed and the fast was succeeded by a banquet of a sort which must have seemed sumptuous indeed to the exiles so go recently plunged in hunger and hardship on the threshold of 0 dreaded winter winthrop and his followers found what had been a prospect of fear and peril changed into one of hap happiness pins and hope such was americas first thanksgiving as celebrated years ago thereafter each succeeding november was marked in the annals of the colony by a sir similar festival of gratitude when every one is joining in the national thanksgiving day and giving praises for possessing the benefits of the great country we live in it is a question of some interest to know how much money it took to disco discover vei this land for the finding of which of people are expressing their gratitude it is not as colossal a sum as one would think especially in comparison with money values today that is if we are to judge at all from the items of columbus expedition it cost only spanish maravelis mar max avedis which Is about according to our pres present exact standard 1 in the archives preserved in madrid it is stated that was given to 2 christopher columbus for his services he had two captains under him who received each and the sailors got 2 50 a month besides their rations the rest of the covers the cost of ships and fittings it seems rather odd that the desire for so small a sum on Co lunus part should have thrown the treasuries of s spain into such a flutter and caused isabella the queen to have been compelled to pawn her crown jewels ts tl raise this amount when people read of all the grandeur of those old day kingdoms one naturally thinks of th the t people spending millions of dollars bu but 1 I evidently they knew nothing of lux 1 urles uries or vast enterprises as the men 5 living now there certainly are no nos such investments in these days as t toa advance for millions and millions |