America has a rich history of Thanksgiving that dates back to our humble beginnings. William Bradford, first governor of Plymouth, authorized the first Thanksgiving proclamation, encouraging the Pilgrims in 1623 to "render Thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.”
It's no secret that one of the very first acts of Congress, dating back to 1789, resolved to ask Mr. President for a selected day to celebrate Thanksgiving. A few days later, Washington fulfilled this request, calling November 26th a "Day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer," stating, "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.'"
It wasn't until Abraham Lincoln, though--in the middle of the Civil War, that the first annual National Day of Thanksgiving and Praise was proclaimed. I offer Lincoln's words for your perusal:
“No human counsel has devised nor has 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. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and grateful acknowledge as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens and every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly do to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as it may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, Harmony, tranquility, and Union."
May The Lord God bless you, Missouri and America, and let us bless God.
"We, the people of Missouri, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness, do you establish this Constitution for the better government of the state."--Preamble to the Missouri Constitution
