Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Jonah,Words. Try as I may I could not get your post to take my response so here it is

Nov 26, 2003 9:06AM PST

THE FIRST THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION - JUNE 20, 1676:


"The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series
of his Afflictive dispensations in and by the present Warr
with the Heathen Natives of this land, written and brought
to pass bitter things against his own Covenant people in this
wilderness, yet so that we evidently discern that in the midst
of his judgements he hath remembered mercy, having remembered
his Footstool in the day of his sore displeasure against us for
our sins, with many singular Intimations of his Fatherly Compassion,
and regard; reserving many of our Towns from Desolation Threatened,
and attempted by the Enemy, and giving us especially of late with
many of our Confederates many signal Advantages against them,
without such Disadvantage to ourselves as formerly we have been
sensible of, if it be the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed,
It certainly bespeaks our positive Thankfulness, when our Enemies
are in any measure disappointed or destroyed; and fearing the
Lord should take notice under so many Intimations of his
returning mercy, we should be found an Insensible people, as
not standing before Him with Thanksgiving, as well as lading
him with our Complaints in the time of pressing Afflictions:

The Council has thought meet to appoint and set apart the
29th day of this instant June, as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving
and praise to God for such his Goodness and Favour, many
Particulars of which mercy might be Instanced, but we doubt not
those who are sensible of God's Afflictions, have been as diligent
to espy him returning to us; and that the Lord may behold us as
a People offering Praise and thereby glorifying Him; the Council
doth commend it to the Respective Ministers, Elders and people
of this Jurisdiction; Solemnly and seriously to keep the same
Beseeching that being perswaded by the mercies of God we may all,
even this whole people offer up our bodies and soulds as a
living and acceptable Service unto God by Jesus Christ."

------------------------------------

The First Thanksgiving Proclamation (June 20, 1676)

On June 20, 1676, the governing council of Charlestown,
Massachusetts, held a meeting to determine how best to express
thanks for the good fortune that had seen their community
securely established. By unamimous vote they instructed
Edward Rawson, the clerk, to proclaim June 29 as a day of
thanksgiving, our first. That proclamation is reproduced here
in the same language and spelling as the original.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Wonderful MK, my annual question about Thanksgiving's source is finally
Nov 26, 2003 9:44AM PST

answered.

However, next question: then why is it now celebrated at the end of November, rather than on June 29?

thanks

Ian

- Collapse -
Abraham Lincoln, Ian...
Nov 26, 2003 11:34AM PST

Ian, because in 1863 Abramam Lincoln issued a procalmation calling for a day of Thanksgiving at that time.

- Collapse -
bt) Thx J.
Nov 26, 2003 8:20PM PST

.

- Collapse -
And Lincoln did this because...
Nov 26, 2003 8:41PM PST

on 3 October, 1789, George Washington issued his Thanksgiving Proclamation; "...the People of the United States a day of public thanks-giving" declaring it to be held on "Thursday the 26th day of November in this year of our Lord 1789".

Later presidents did not maintain the tradition until Lincoln issued his Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1863 (in fact he also issued his proclamation on 3 October and declared it would be Thursday 26 November in following Washington's lead).

It was never an "Official Holiday" (although it was regularly observed) until 1941 when Congress named the 4th Thursday of November as our national day of thanks. This was done because Roosevelt tried to lengthen the Christmas shopping season by moving Thanksgiving from the now traditional 4th Thursday to the 3rd Thursday and the public was outraged.

And there you have the "rest of the story".

- Collapse -
which brings me to an email i recieved (from the States) subject: Our Supreme Court
Nov 26, 2003 7:58PM PST

Did you know...

As you walk up the steps to the Capitol Building in Washington DC which
houses the Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of
the world's law givers and each one is facing an individual in the middle,
who in turn is facing forward with a full frontal view - - it is Moses and
the Ten Commandments!

As you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, each of the two huge oak doors
have the Ten Commandments engraved on the lower portion of each door. As
you sit inside the courtroom you will observe above where the Supreme Court
judges sit, a display of the Ten Commandments!

There are Bible verses etched in stone on many of the Federal Buildings and
Monuments throughout Washington, D.C..

James Madison, the fourth president, known as "The Father of Our
Constitution" made the following statement "We have staked the whole of all
our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for
self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern
ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten
Commandments of God."

Patrick Henry, that patriot and Founding Father of our country said, "It
cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was
founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the
Gospel of Jesus Christ".

Every session of Congress begins with a prayer by a paid preacher whose
salary has been paid by the taxpayers of the country since 1777.

Fifty-two of the 55 founders of the Constitution were members of established
orthodox churches in the colonies.

Thomas Jefferson worried the Courts would overstep their authority and
instead of interpreting the law would begin making law.

How then, have we gotten to the point that everything we have done for 200
years in this country is now suddenly wrong and unconstitutional?
=-=-=-=

i would say that is a very astute question...

jonah

- Collapse -
Location note....
Nov 26, 2003 9:14PM PST

The Supreme Court is not located in the Capitol Building in DC. It's in a separate building right behind it next to the Library of Congress.

- Collapse -
Re:dang! but that email took a long time to arrive :-)
Nov 26, 2003 9:20PM PST
- Collapse -
i just realised something (i think)
Nov 26, 2003 9:30PM PST
- Collapse -
Yes, every state has a Capitol. When talking about the Capitol of the USA ...
Nov 26, 2003 11:38PM PST

usually people say Washington, D.C., or The Hill.

However, on the news you night hear something like "Today in The Capitol....." and everyone knows right off just what Capitol is being talked about.

If the news was about Texas for instance they would say "Today in the State Capital....."
.

- Collapse -
Snopes does a good job on this one.
Dec 1, 2003 2:55AM PST
- Collapse -
Re:Jonah,Words. Try as I may I could not get your post to take my response so here it is
Dec 1, 2003 4:27AM PST

Re: Subject.
I just ran a Test of your above post in the Test Forum and could not get it to fit in a "reply" post. The length of your reply post would require you to make at least another 'continued' post or possibly two to stay in the original post made by Jonah. "Continued" posts are being made by others in long replys because of this 'bug' in the system

This is a bug that has been discussed in 'Feedback' and is on the wish list.

- Collapse -
Re:Thanks John, I did discover this later. I am not as techy as
Dec 1, 2003 4:53AM PST

some of the rest of you. Happy