WASHINGTON, D.C. (Amazing America TV) — In 1789, George Washington issued a proclamation inviting Americans to come together and be grateful for surviving a long and brutal war.

But when Thomas Jefferson assumed the presidency, he refused to carry on this tradition due to his strong belief in the separation of church and state.

It’s Abraham Lincoln who can be credited with sparking the creation of the Thanksgiving holiday we know and love.

Unlike Washington, Lincoln wanted everyone to celebrate Thanksgiving on the same day — a unified, official holiday and tradition of reflecting & giving thanks.

He didn’t arrive at this idea alone. Sarah Joseph Hale, writer, editor, and one of the era’s most influential voices, sent a letter to Lincoln asking for a day of remembrance and national unity. For decades, she had been giving presidents this same request, but Lincoln was the first to truly listen.

So, in 1863, Lincoln called on Americans to pause, reflect and give thanks for what they still had, even as the country reeled from staggering loss.

It was a bold move, trying to bring the whole country together during the bloodiest year in American history. The battles of Vicksburg, Gettysburg and Chancellorsville had all happened that year. People had every reason to despair, but Lincoln chose to offer Americans a path of hope instead.

The man who carried the weight of a broken nation asked citizens to look not at their misery and misfortune, but to focus on mercy and hope — to thank God, not curse him.

Today Thanksgiving (and the holiday season in general) can bring mixed emotions and heavy memories. But Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation is a reminder that gratitude isn’t a reaction – it's a decision.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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