It used to be common knowledge that America’s first national Thanksgiving Day was established by President George Washington in 1789. While a few modern critics might be rankled by, as Washington’s proclamation puts it, an official “day of public thanksgiving and prayer,” for most Americans the holiday stands as an enduring reminder of Washington’s wise vision for American religious freedom.
Both chambers of Congress requested that Washington establish an official day to thank “Almighty God” for allowing the American people to create a republican “form of government for their safety and happiness.”
The vast majority of Americans still believe that was a good decision. In a survey conducted earlier this month, respondents were asked whether the federal government did the right thing when it established Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday. They were told that the government recommended that Americans engage in thanksgiving and prayer to “acknowledge with grateful hearts” the blessings of Almighty God.