America’s first Thanksgiving Day was a religious event
America’s first Thanksgiving Day, which took place on November 26, 1789, was, in fact, a religious event.
Much to the chagrin of the anti-religionists who tend to dominate the discussion when it comes to the subject of religion in the public square, the first act of Congress after framing the Bill of Rights — which prohibits an establishment of religion — was to pass a resolution on September 25, 1789 requesting that the President of the United States recommend to the people a “Day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer.”
This Resolution provides clear evidence that our Founding Fathers never intended for the language of the Establishment Clause they had just adopted in the Bill of Rights be interpreted someday by the Supreme Court of the United States to become the basis for creating a “wall of separation between church and state” and eventually used to ban God from government and the public square.
President George Washington enthusiastically agreed to the Resolution approved by both Houses of Congress. In his Proclamation dated October 3, 1789, Washington began with these words: “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 favour; …” (Emphasis mine)
In today’s America, Thanksgiving is intended to be a time of joyful celebration; a day to spend with family and friends; a day to eat turkey; a day to watch football and Thanksgiving Day parades. Unfortunately, today’s America also finds herself experiencing great turmoil and division at home and around the world, making it even more important for every one of us to remember the reason for America’s first Thanksgiving Day.
In scripture, Colossians 2:6-7 reads: “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (NIV)
The political differences we are witnessing today are likely to continue, but we must never allow those differences to create a division so vast that it keeps us from being thankful for the goodness of God and the blessing of liberty in America.
So, on this Thanksgiving Day 2025, I want to invite you to take a moment to thank God for the many blessings we enjoy in this amazing land of ours, and to implore His protection and wisdom over the men and women tasked with leading us into the future so that we may continue to enjoy liberty and be, as Ronald Reagan once observed in his 1989 farewell address, a shining city on a hill for all the world to see.
Below is the first National Thanksgiving proclamation issued by President Washington. I hope you’ll take a moment to read it to appreciate the spirit behind America’s first Thanksgiving Day and to better understand the significance of thanking God for the blessings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness we enjoy in our great Republic.
Thanksgiving Proclamation [New York, 3 October 1789]
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.
And 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 increase 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.
David Leach is the owner of the Strident Conservative. He holds people of every political stripe accountable for their failure to uphold conservative values, and he promotes those values instead of political parties. He the author of The New Axis of Evil: Exposing the Bipartisan War on Liberty.
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