Thanksgiving Holiday

The Pilgrims originally of the English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect). sailed to this country as about 1/3 of those aboard the Mayflower were Pilgrims.

They landed at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620 where only 46 of the original 102 survived the first winter, and only with the help of the Native Americans But the harvest of 1621 was bountiful.

The colonists decided to celebrate with a three day feast to including 91 Native Americans. They would not have made it through the year without their help. There was an other one in 1623, and not again until June of 1676.

Eventially all 13 colonies joined in a thanksgiving celebration. and in 1789 George Washington proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving. Finally, in 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving. It settled out as the fourth Thursday in November.

The First Thanksgiving Proclamation

On June 20, 1676, the governing council of 
Charlestown, Massachusetts, wrote this as thanks 
to God for their good fortune.

"The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series of 
his Afflictive dispensations in and by the present Warr with 
the Heathen Natives of this land, written and brought to 
pass bitter things against his own Covenant people in this 
wilderness, yet so that we evidently discern that in the 
midst of his judgements he hath remembered mercy, having 
remembered his Footstool in the day of his sore displeasure 
against us for our sins, with many singular Intimations of 
his Fatherly Compassion, and regard; reserving many of our 
Towns from Desolation Threatened, and attempted by the 
Enemy, and giving us especially of late with many of our 
Confederates many signal Advantages against them, without 
such Disadvantage to ourselves as formerly we have been 
sensible of, if it be the Lord's mercy that we are not 
consumed, It certainly bespeaks our positive Thankfulness, 
when our Enemies are in any measure disappointed or 
destroyed; and fearing the Lord should take notice under so 
many Intimations of his returning mercy, we should be found 
an Insensible people, as not standing before Him with 
Thanksgiving, as well as lading him with our Complaints in 
the time of pressing Afflictions:

The Council has thought meet to appoint and set apart 
the 29th day of this instant June, as a day of Solemn 
Thanksgiving and praise to God for such his Goodness and 
Favour, many Particulars of which mercy might be Instanced, 
but we doubt not those who are sensible of God's 
Afflictions, have been as diligent to espy him returning to 
us; and that the Lord may behold us as a People offering 
Praise and thereby glorifying Him; the Council doth commend 
it to the Respective Ministers, Elders and people of this 
Jurisdiction; Solemnly and seriously to keep the same 
Beseeching that being perswaded by the mercies of God we may 
all, even this whole people offer up our bodies and soulds 
as a living and acceptable Service unto God by Jesus 
Christ."

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