President George Washington issued the first Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1789 but he didn’t issue another Thanksgiving Proclamation until 1795. President John Adams issued proclamations for a "Day of Fasting & Humiliation” in 1798 and 1799; and President James Madison issued Thanksgiving Proclamations 1814 and 1815. However, between 1816 and 1862, there were no Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamations issued.
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation declaring the last Thursday of November “as a day of thanksgiving and praise.” Although Lincoln didn’t issue the first Thanksgiving Proclamation, his proclamation is significant because it marks the beginning of Annual Thanksgiving Holidays.
In 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt thought that moving Thanksgiving forward a week would create more Christmas-related profit for businesses and help the Nation’s economy. Many people were against this idea and in August 1941, the House passed a bill designating Thanksgiving as the last Thursday in November. However, in October 1941, the Senate decided on a compromise, making Thanksgiving the 4th Thursday of the month. Roosevelt signed the bill on December 26, 1941, and since then Thanksgiving has been observed on the 4th Thursday of November.
To see the legislative history for yourself, search for “P.L. 77-379” or “55 Stat. 862” in LexisNexis Congressional.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of our patrons!!!!
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