When President Abraham Lincoln issued his first Thanksgiving proclamation on Oct. 3, 1863, the message landed in the midst of the Civil War. It might have been particularly hard for citizens to hear him note that “[t] he year that is drawing to its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies,” but nevertheless Lincoln described bounties and gracious gifts, and advances in industry. He invited citizens “in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands,” to join him in thanksgiving the last Thursday of November. Not everyone agreed, and certainly not everyone participated, but an annual tradition began to take hold.
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This November, Joe Biden will issue his first Thanksgiving Proclamation as President of the United States. His will be the 159th consecutive such proclamation. Over the years the tone of proclamations has varied widely, with some presidents using the opportunity to highlight—under the guise of gratitude—their own accomplishments during the year. Others came from the heart, penned to rally spirits during dark times. But whether overcooked hams or underdone turkeys, they were all some kind of reflection of the office, the country and the stakes of the given cultural moment.
Read more: Why We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving
The timing of President Woodrow Wilson’s Thanksgiving proclamation of 1917 found the United States mired in World War I, for example, and provided a unifying message when for many it seemed impossible to find anything for which to be grateful. Wilson wrote that stopping to give thanks was a “custom we can follow now even in the midst of the tragedy of a world shaken by war and immeasurable disaster, in the midst of sorrow and great peril, because even amidst the darkness that has gathered about us we can see the great blessings God has bestowed upon us, blessings that are better than mere peace of mind and…
Source : time
