The POTUS Timeline
Executive Action

Washington issues first national Thanksgiving Proclamation

On October 3, 1789, President George Washington issued a proclamation designating Thursday, November 26, 1789, as a national day of public thanksgiving and prayer.

Washington issues first national Thanksgiving Proclamation

The proclamation was the first presidential declaration of a national day of thanksgiving, setting a precedent for federal observances and shaping early civic-religious practice in the new republic.

← Back to timeline View George Washington

References / Sources

No source references have been added for this event yet.

Related Timeline Entries