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By Miriam Raftery
November 22, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—The first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 in Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts. But it wasn’t until 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday amid the Civil War, with a proclamation in which he asked "the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation" and restore "peace, harmony, tranquility and union."
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, during the Depression in 1933 issued a Thanksgiving proclamation in which he urged, "May we seek guidance in more surely learning the ancient truth that greed and selfishness and striving for undue riches can never bring lasting happiness or good to the individual or to his neighbors. May we be grateful for the passing of dark days ... for the brighter day to which we can win through by seeking the help of God in a more unselfish striving for the common bettering of mankind."
Former General Dwight D. Eisenhower, in his 1960 presidential Thanksgiving Day proclamation asked Americans, while giving thanks for our blessings here, to “direct their thoughts to the peoples of other lands less fortunate than we. In particular, I urge my fellow Americans to support and assist the efforts which we as a Nation, working individually and in cooperation with other nations, are directing toward the solution of the world-food problem.”
President Barack Obama’s 2012 Thanksgiving proclamation recalls the contributions made by our ancestors and by Native Americans, also urging compassion for those less fortunate. “This day is a time to take stock of the fortune we have known and the kindnesses we have shared, grateful for the God-given bounty that enriches our lives. As many pause to lend a hand to those in need, we are also reminded of the indelible spirit of compassion and mutual responsibility that has distinguished our Nation since its earliest days.”
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