Daily Archives: November 26, 2025

Thanksgiving 2025: George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

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Well done, Mr President. Well done. You get it. For those with ears to hear, listen and understand (and do likewise). Your country’s existence depends on it.

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

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 signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be– That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks–for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation–for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war–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, and particularly the national One now lately instituted–for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

[A]nd also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions– to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually–to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed–to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord–To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us–and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Go: Washington

Washington issued a proclamation on October 3, 1789, designating Thursday, November 26 as a national day of thanks. In his proclamation, Washington declared that the necessity for such a day sprung from the Almighty’s care of Americans prior to the Revolution, assistance to them in achieving independence, and help in establishing the constitutional government.

Source: George Washington’s Mount Vernon

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Thanksgiving 2025: William Bennett and John Cribb (FN): The Virtue America Forgot: Why Gratitude Still Matters for our National Character

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An excellent piece that is spot on. Gratitude for our country is rapidly disappearing because teachers no longer teach it and parents, for whatever reason, fail to demand it as well as teach it to their own kids. Woe to the teachers who have abandoned their sacred task in homage to the woke. Woe to them. May they come to their senses before it is too late. For those with ears to hear, listen and understand.

Does America need to focus more on the civic virtue of gratitude? It’s a question worth asking as we approach Thanksgiving.

We do not mean personal gratitude. Most Americans are no doubt grateful for their families and friends, the roofs over their heads, God’s creation, and the blessings we enjoy in this country.

But in our national discourse, do we publicly acknowledge those blessings enough? Do our leaders regularly express thanks for this nation’s greatness? In our schools and colleges, are we teaching young people how fortunate we are to be Americans — and the importance of gratitude for our country?There are some troubling signs. For example, a recent Axios–Generation Lab poll found that more college students have a positive view of socialism than of capitalism.

Yes, capitalism has its problems, and the anxiety of young people facing issues like student debt and high housing costs is understandable. But are we losing our appreciation for the American free enterprise system that has lifted millions out of poverty and helped countless people build better lives for themselves and their families?

Schools used to spend significant time on the story of the first Thanksgiving and how the pilgrims, having made it through the “starving time,” sat down to feast and give thanks with the American Indians who had helped them survive.Today, many schools are just as likely to skip that story, throw cold water on the first Thanksgiving tradition, or mark the season with a generic harvest celebration.It would be interesting to know how often parents hear their children say, “We learned to be thankful for our country in school today.”

Pick a college and look at its list of American history courses. You’ll likely find descriptions with words like “exploitation,” “oppression,” “imperialism,” and “exclusion.” You probably won’t find many with phrases such as “the miracle of America” or “achievements of the American spirit.”

Certainly, the United States has at times fallen short of its ideals. It has committed sins—some grievous. But for all its errors, ours is the story of a great nation that gives us much to be thankful for.

Read and reflect on it all. Then do your part, what you can, to return the civic virtue of gratitude to its proper place in our nation.

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