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Show The First Thanksgiving PROCLAMATION Few Americans know that the o-riginal o-riginal Presidential Thanksgiving proclamation was lost for over a hundred years; that it was fou.id at an auction sale in 1921; that it was bought by the Library of Con-giess Con-giess for $300.00; and that it now reposes in the archives of that institution in-stitution one of the most valuable documents in the world. The Division Di-vision of Information and Publication Publica-tion of the George Washington Bicentennial Bi-centennial Commission, in a statement state-ment issued today relates the story of the lost proclamation. On September 25. 1789, Elias Bou-dinot Bou-dinot introduced the following resolution reso-lution in the House of Representatives: Representa-tives: "Resolved, That a joint committee of both Houses be directed to wait upon the President of the United States, to request that he recommend recom-mend to the people of the United States a day of public Thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging, ac-knowledging, with grateful hearts, the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by offording them .in opportunity to establish a Constitution Constitu-tion of government for their safety and happiness." Harmless as this resolution seems, there were objections to it. In reading read-ing the Annals of Congress of r.hat period, we find that Represental ive Aedanus Burke of South Carolina thought we should not mimic Europe "where they made a mere mockery-of mockery-of thanksgiving." Representative Thomas Tudor Tucker, also of South Carolina, argued ar-gued that it was not the business of Congrgess to ask for a national day of Thanksgiving. "They (the people) may not be inclined to return thanks for a Constitution Con-stitution until they have experienced that it promotes their safety and happiness. ' These objections, however, were overruled; the resolution was passed and sent to the Senate for concurrence. concur-rence. The Senate approved and appointed its committee to wait on the President. The joint committee was made up of Ralph Izard of South Carolina and William S. Johnson of Connecticut, from the Senate; Elias Boudinot of New Jersey, Jer-sey, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, and Peter Sylvester of New Yoik, from the House. Whasington complied with the request re-quest and on October 3, 1789, issued his proclamation, calling for a National Na-tional day of Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26. And then the document dropped out of sight. It apparently was misplaced mis-placed or attached to some private papers in the process of moving official records from one city to another an-other when the Capital was changed. However, it happened, the original manuscript was not in the official archives until 1921 when Dr. J. C. Fitzpatrick, then Assistant Chief of the Manuscripts Division of the Library Li-brary of Congress, and now Editor of the forthcoming George Washington Wash-ington Bicentennial Commission series of Washington's Writings, "found" the proclamation. It was at an auction sale being held in Lhe American Art Galleries of New York City. Dr. Fitzpatrick, an expert in Washingtonia, examined the document docu-ment and found it to be authentic. It was written in long hand by Wrn. Jackson, Secretary to President Washington at the time, and was signed in George Washington's bold hand. Dr. Fitzpatrick purchased the document for $300.00 for the Library of Congrgess, where it is now kept as a treasure. And no a-mount a-mount of money could remove it. The original Proclamation of Thanksgiving, and, indeed, the first Presidential proclamation ever is-' i-ued in the United States, reads as lollows: "By the President of the United States of America. "Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence provi-dence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection protec-tion and favor and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint committee requested me to lecommend to the People of the U-nited U-nited States a day of public thanksgiving thanks-giving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts tne many signal favors of Almighty God. especially by affording them an opportunity to establish a form of government for- their safety and happiness! "Mow, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the People of these United States to the service of that great and glorius Being who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere sin-cere and humble thanks for his kind care and protection of the People Peo-ple of this country previous to their becoming a Nation for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable favor-able interpositions of his providence, v. hich we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war for the great degree of tranquility, union, un-ion, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed- for the peaceful and ra-' tional manner in which we have! ;.::en enabled to establish constitu-i lions of government for our saicly ' nd hap.j.nc:, and particularly the national One njw lately instituted--! J for the civil and religious libe. '.y' ! v. ilh which we are blessed and the ; .r ";. n:; we have of acquiring and diflusing useful knowledge; and in griitial for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased c confer upon us. "And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech him to pardon cur national and ether transgressions to enable ui all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually to render cur national government, a blessing to all the People by constantly beihg a Government Gov-ernment of wise, just and constitutional consti-tutional laws, discreetly and faithfully faith-fully executed and obeyed to protect pro-tect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us) and to bless them with good Government, peace and rnncord. To promote tne knowledge and practice of true religion re-ligion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us and gene: ally to grant unto all mankind man-kind such a degree of temporal prosperity he alone knows to be bet. "Given under my hand at ih; City of New York the third day cf October in the year of our Lore! 1789. (signed) Georg? Washington" Celebration of Thanksgiving Day in America can be traced back to the earliest days of the Massachusetts Massachus-etts Bay Colony. From there the custcm spread to all parts of the United States. |