The first "official" Thanksgiving was celebrated 212 years ago. President George Washington's first presidential proclamation designated the 26th day of November to be set aside for giving thanks.
"It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God and to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor," he wrote.
Washington did not ask the nation's citizens to demand more from God or to question why the Revolutionary War had lasted eight years, nor to reflect on the damage that occurred during the war. Instead, he asked the nation to be grateful and to ask for God's protection and favor.
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