The first Presidential Thanksgiving was made in 1789 by George Washington, after
a gap of about three years, during which there were no national Thanksgiving
Proclamations that were made. The timeline of presidential Thanksgiving
Proclamations goes like this:
1789-1815:
George Washington, John Adams and James Madison made Thanksgiving Proclamations
and there were gaps in between.
1816-1861:
No Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamations were issued during this period.
1862-1869:
The President has issued Thanksgiving Proclamations regularly ever since Abraham
Lincoln in 1862. Other two presidents that made proclamations during this period
were Andrew Johnson and Ulysses S. Grant.
1870-1879: Ulysses S. Grant and Rutherford B. Hayes issued Thanksgiving
Proclamations.
1880-1889: Rutherford B. Hayes, Chester A. Arthur, Grover Cleveland and Benjamin
Harrison made Thanksgiving Proclamations in 1880s.
1890-1899: Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland and William McKinley were the
Presidents making Thanksgiving proclamations during 1890s.
1900-1909: William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt and William H. Taft made
Thanksgiving Proclamations in first decade of 20th century.
1910-1919: William H. Taft and Woodrow Wilson made proclamations during this
period.
1920-1929: Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover
issued Thanksgiving Proclamations.
1930-1939: Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt made Thanksgiving
Proclamations in 1930s.
1940-1949: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman were the Presidents making
Thanksgiving proclamations during 1940s.
1950-1959: Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower were the ones to issue
proclamations in 1950s.
1960-1969: Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard
Nixon made Thanksgiving Proclamations in 1960s.
1970-1979: Richard Nixon, Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter made proclamations
during this period.
1980-1989: Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George Bush issued Thanksgiving
Proclamations.
1990-1999: George Bush and William J. Clinton made Thanksgiving Proclamations in
the last decade of 20th century.
2000s: William J. Clinton and George W. Bush have yet made Thanksgiving
proclamations in the 21st century.
Proclamations by Presidents
Abraham Lincoln issued Thanksgiving Proclamation after a gap of several years in
1862. He made an appeal to people to thank God for the victory of the United
States forces in ' suppressing an internal rebellion, and at the same time to
avert from our country the dangers of foreign intervention and invasion.' Next
year, Lincoln mentioned the sacrifice of 'life, limb, health, and liberty,
incurred by brave, loyal, and patriotic citizens' for these victories and to
pray for the sorrowful and bereaved families of the victims of this 'domestic
affliction in every part of the country.
Proclamations Before Lincoln
It was in 1789, when the first National Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamation
was made by George Washington, the first President of the United States of
America. Thanksgiving was celebrated on last Thursday of November that year. The
President made the next Thanksgiving proclamation six years later in 1795.
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