Lincoln Proclaims Thanksgiving: Unifying a Nation
Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving on October 3, 1863, in the middle of a war that had already killed hundreds of thousands. The timing was deliberate: Gettysburg and Vicksburg had turned the tide that summer, and Lincoln needed a unifying gesture. Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey's Lady's Book, had lobbied five presidents over 17 years for a fixed national holiday. Lincoln finally said yes. The date stuck until 1939, when FDR moved it up a week to extend the Christmas shopping season. Congress overruled him in 1941 and fixed it permanently as the fourth Thursday in November. The turkey, cranberry sauce, and football came later. Lincoln just wanted Americans to stop killing each other long enough to give thanks.
October 3, 1863
163 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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