ORLANDO,
FL – Thanksgiving is one of the most cherished holidays in America, as it is
firmly rooted in family, community, and above all, gratitude for God’s grace
and provision. From the Pilgrims to the Founders, to the Civil War through
today, Thanksgiving remains steeped in the biblical principles of humble prayer
and gratitude that honor God for the inspiration of American liberty and all
that it took to achieve it.
While
Thanksgiving certainly echoes the early biblical harvest festivals, such as the
Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), a time when the Israelites gave thanks for God’s
provision during the harvest season (Leviticus 23:33–43), the first
Thanksgiving is traditionally traced back to 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The Pilgrims, seeking religious liberty and escape from persecution, saw the
New World in America as an opportunity to practice their religion freely and to
create a society based on their faith and values. The Pilgrims spent 66 days at
sea aboard the Mayflower to reach America, including sailing
through treacherous storms. Prior to going ashore in Plymouth, they voted to
establish a new form of government in the New World and signed America’s first
governing document, the Mayflower Compact.
In
the Mayflower Compact, the
Pilgrims clearly stated both their voyage and new government was for “the glory
of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.” This agreement also
established the idea of “just and equal laws” for self-government made by and
for the people, a forebear of American democracy. The Pilgrims would then
develop relations with the native Wampanoag people who taught them their
farming and survival skills. Those who survived the subsequent harsh winter,
which took many lives, decided to celebrate their first successful harvest. As
Christians, the Pilgrims celebrated their survival, community, and harvest with
expressions of gratitude and prayers of thanksgiving emphasizing their reliance
on divine grace and providence for their newfound liberty.
Though
not uniform, Thanksgiving-like celebrations would become common in the colonies
during the 17th and 18th centuries and were often marked by community feasts
and religious observances. It wasn’t until 1789 that President George
Washington would further inspire the Thanksgiving holiday by issuing the first
official Thanksgiving proclamation under America’s new Constitution. Leading up
to the Constitution, Washington led the Continental Army, as its general,
through many battles and hardships, including harsh winters, food shortages,
inadequate clothing and supplies, and intense psychological strain from family
separations, suffering of comrades, and the fear of death. It is estimated about 25,000 American soldiers
died in the Revolutionary War for the cause of liberty from combat, disease,
and British captivity. Despite these overwhelming challenges, Washington
understood that his army’s resilience, sacrifices, and ultimate victory were
not powered by men alone but also by divine providence. As President,
Washington expressed liberty is a natural, God-given right, and he connected
hard-won American liberty to a people who honored God and the Christian
Faith.
In the
nation’s first inaugural address in 1789,
President Washington said, “…the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be
expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which
Heaven itself has ordained; and since the preservation of the sacred fire of
liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly
considered, perhaps, as deeply, as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted
to the hands of the American people.”
Later
that year, President Washington proclaimed November
26 as a day of national thanksgiving and prayer. He called on Americans to
“acknowledge the providence of Almighty God” for the nation's liberty,
independence, and blessings. He proclaimed that Americans should offer “sincere
and humble thanks” for God’s “manifold mercies” for victory in the war, in
establishing the Constitution, and for the “religious liberty” conferred on the
nation by God.
“…we
may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks…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 enabled to
establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness…,”
proclaimed Washington.
By
1815, the various state governments had issued at least
1,400 official prayer proclamations, almost half for times of thanksgiving and
prayer and the other half for times of fasting and prayer. However, much of the
credit for America’s national Thanksgiving holiday belongs to Mrs. Sarah
Josepha Hale, often called the “Mother
of Thanksgiving.”
Leading
up to the American Civil War, Hale saw a Thanksgiving holiday as a way to
potentially heal and unify the nation through honoring its roots. As a writer
and editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book, Hale campaigned for decades to
make Thanksgiving a national holiday by writing letters to presidents and
publishing articles commending the virtues of gratitude and prayer. As so, she
wrote to President Abraham Lincoln advocating for a national Thanksgiving
holiday.
During
the darkest days of the Civil War, Lincoln was visiting the battlegrounds at
Gettysburg. This bloodiest battle in American history claimed approximately
60,000 lives. As Lincoln walked among the thousands of graves at Gettysburg, he
committed his life to Jesus Christ. Lincoln conveyed to a
clergyman, “When I left Springfield [to assume the presidency], I asked the
people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the
severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg
and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated
myself to Christ.”
After
Gettysburg, Lincoln was deeply influenced by Hale’s advocacy for a national
Thanksgiving holiday. On October 3, 1863, Lincoln issued a formal proclamation that
set aside the last Thursday of that November as the first annual National Day
of Thanksgiving and Praise.
President
Lincoln proclaimed, “In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and
severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and provoke
their aggressions, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been
maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed
everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict…No human counsel hath
devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the
gracious gifts of the Most High God, who while dealing with us in anger for our
sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.”
Thanksgiving
is a cornerstone of American heritage. America’s fabric is woven with gratitude
because the gift of American liberty – achieved through the faith, struggle,
and immense sacrifice – requires it. From the story of the first
Thanksgiving to the proclamations of yesteryear and of today, the expressions
of prayerful gratitude by the people of the Mayflower, the
Colonies, the American Revolution, and the American Republic are deeply
inspired by God’s providential hand on the nation, as well as the belief that
the survival of the nation depends on the biblical values and the gratefulness
of its citizenry. As historically celebrated, Thanksgiving is a humble, yet
powerful way to express timeless thankfulness for the biblical notion that
“Where there the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
“Give
thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” (Psalm 107:1)
