-Caveat Lector-

George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of
Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and
humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of
Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to
the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and
prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many
and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an
opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their
safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of
November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the
service of that great and glorious 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 and humble thanks for His
kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to
their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the
favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and
conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility,
union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and
rational manner in which we have been enable to establish
constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and
particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and
religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of
acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the
great and various favors which He has been pleased to 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 our national and other transgressions; to enable us all,
whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and
relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National
Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a
Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and
faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns
and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to
bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the
knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase
of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind
such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October,
A.D. 1789.

G. Washington (his actual signature)

NOTE:

Shortly after the Thanksgiving Proclamation was written, it was lost
for 130 years. The original document was written in long hand by
William Jackson, secretary to the President, and was then signed by
George Washington. It was probably misplaced or mixed in with some
private papers when the US capitol moved from New York to Washington,
D.C. The original manuscript was not placed in the National Archives
until 1921 when Dr. J. C. Fitzpatrick, assistant chief of the
manuscripts division of the Library of Congress found the proclamation
at an auction sale being held at an art gallery in New York. Dr
Fitzpatrick purchased the document for $300.00 for the Library of
Congress, in which it now resides. It was the first official
presidential proclamation issued in the United States.
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