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In
recent years a new Thanksgiving tradition has developed: people complaining about it.
Critics allege that our third president, Thomas Jefferson, regarded
Thanksgiving as “The most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard.” As of this writing, a Google search yields
581 results of this statement, coupled with “Jefferson” and “Thanksgiving.”
Did
Jefferson really say those words? What
documentation is cited by the skeptics?
Virtually,
none.
Thanks
to the digital revolution, a comprehensive repository of published materials
from the eighteenth and nineteenth century is available online. Newsbank offers America’s Historical
Newspapers, America’s Historical Imprints. Gale provides Eighteenth Century Collections
Online, The Making of the Modern World, Sabin Americana, Nineteen Century
Collections Online, and Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers. Digitized newspapers are also available
through ProQuest and Access Newspaper Archive.
Do these sources document the quote?
No. Neither is there any citation
at Thomas Jefferson’s libraries at Monticello.
Why
do critics not cite the source of their claim?
Perhaps because the quote is bogus.
J.
P. Holding pursued the matter online and could find no usage of the quote
earlier than 2006—nearly two centuries after Jefferson’s death.
Why
would Jefferson disparage Thanksgiving? The
concept was commonplace in early American history as documented in the
Thanksgiving Proclamations stored here.
It
may shock critics to learn that when Jefferson was governor of Virginia, he
issued a Thanksgiving proclamation, on November 11, 1779:
WHEREAS the Honourable the General
Congress, impressed with a grateful sense of the goodness of Almighty God, in
blessing the greater part of this extensive continent with plentiful harvests,
crowning our arms with repeated successes, conducting us hitherto safely
through the perils with which we have been encompassed and manifesting in
multiplied instances his divine care of these infant states, hath thought
proper by their act of the 20th day of October last, to recommend to the
several states that Thursday the 9th of December next be appointed a day of
publick and solemn thanksgiving and prayer, which act is in these words, to
wit.
"Whereas it becomes us humbly
to approach the throne of Almighty God, with gratitude and praise, for the
wonders which his goodness has wrought in conducting our forefathers to this
western world; for his protection to them and to their posterity, amidst
difficulties and dangers; for raising us their children from deep distress, to
be numbered among the nations of the earth; and for arming the hands of just
and mighty Princes in our deliverance; and especially for that he hath been
pleased to grant us the enjoyment of health and so to order the revolving
seasons, that the earth hath produced her increase in abundance, blessing the
labours of the husbandman, and spreading plenty through the land; that he hath
prospered our arms and those of our ally, been a shield to our troops in the
hour of danger, pointed their swords to victory, and led them in triumph over
the bulwarks of the foe; that he hath gone with those who went out into the
wilderness against the savage tribes; that he hath stayed the hand of the
spoiler, and turned back his meditated destruction; that he hath prospered our
commerce, and given success to those who sought the enemy on the face of the
deep; and above all, that he hath diffused the glorious light of the gospel,
whereby, through the merits of our gracious Redeemer, we may become the heirs
of his eternal glory. Therefore,
Resolved, that it be recommended
to the several states to appoint THURSDAY the 9th of December next, to be a day
of publick and solemn THANKSGIVING to Almighty God, for his mercies, and of
PRAYER, for the continuance of his favour and protection to these United
States; to beseech him that he would be graciously pleased to influence our
publick Councils, and bless them with wisdom from on high, with unanimity,
firmness and success; that he would go forth with our hosts and crown our arms
with victory; that he would grant to his church, the plentiful effusions of
divine grace, and pour out his holy spirit on all Ministers of the gospel; that
he would bless and prosper the means of education, and spread the light of
christian knowledge through the remotest corners of the earth; that he would
smile upon the labours of his people, and cause the earth to bring forth her
fruits in abundance, that we may with gratitude and gladness enjoy them; that
he would take into his holy protection, our illustrious ally, give him victory
over his enemies, and render him finally great, as the father of his people,
and the protector of the rights of mankind; that he would graciously be pleased
to turn the hearts of our enemies, and to dispence the blessings of peace to
contending nations.
That he would in mercy look down
upon us, pardon all our sins, and receive us into his favour; and finally, that
he would establish the independance of these United States upon the basis of
religion and virtue, and support and protect them in the enjoyment of peace,
liberty and safety."
I do therefore by authority from
the General Assembly issue this my proclamation, hereby appointing Thursday the
9th day of December next, a day of publick and solemn thanksgiving and prayer
to Almighty God, earnestly recommending to all the good people of this
commonwealth, to set apart the said day for those purposes, and to the several
Ministers of religion to meet their respective societies thereon, to assist
them in their prayers, edify them with their discourses, and generally to
perform the sacred duties of their function, proper for the occasion. Given
under my hand and the seal of the commonwealth, at Williamsburg, this 11th day
of November, in the year of our Lord, 1779, and in the fourth of the
commonwealth.
THOMAS JEFFERSON
Thanksgiving
was observed sporadically in the early 19th century on the federal level
while being observed regularly on a state level.
In
Volume Three of his diary, President Rutherford B. Hayes pointed out, "I have the Thanksgiving Proclamations
of twenty-seven States--all recognizing religion, nearly all the religion of
the Bible, and several the Divinity of Christ. More are coming, doubtless. Our
Legislature for many years has passed a joint resolution annually authorizing a
thanksgiving and frequently in terms which recognized the religion of the
Bible. The last Legislature omitted to do so by a mere accident this year,
but in [the] Sixty-fifth volume Ohio Laws, page 306, passed one last year. If
you wish to borrow my bundle of Thanksgiving Proclamations I will send them to
you. All state institutions have religious exercises, some of them chaplains
paid under state laws. The meetings of the two houses of the General Assembly
are always opened with prayer in accordance, sometimes, with resolutions
(passed unanimously usually), and sometimes by common consent. The
inaugurations of governors are prefaced by religious exercises." From the Diary and Letters
of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, p. 72.
Historian
Franklin Benjamin Hough wrote a compilation,
Proclamations
for Thanksgiving, issued by the Continental Congress: Pres't Washington, by the
national and state governments on the Peace of 1815, and by the governors of
New York since the introduction of the custom; with those of the governors of
the several states in 1858, accessible here.
President
Chester Arthur stated in hisThanksgiving Proclamation, “It has
long been the pious custom of our people, with the closing of the year, to look
back upon the blessings brought to them in the changing course of the seasons
and to return solemn thanks to the all-giving source from whom they flow.”
To
honor God is the least we can do for all He has done for us, for America. Jefferson understood that—as have American
statesmen throughout history.
Why
let critics rob us of this privilege?
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Hey JP, there's a film based off of Joseph Atwill's book of the same name. It's so bad that it has to be seen to be believed.
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