Learning Resources History of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving brings families and friends together in a celebration of the blessings that have sustained and enriched our lives. Each year on the fourth Thursday of November, we pause and remember our good fortune: we live in a land of hope and plenty.

Americans have always found reason to give thanks even in the hardest of times. In 1621, the Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest even as they prepared to face the long, cold New England winter. Over two centuries later, in the midst of a terrible civil war, President Abraham Lincoln still thought it "fit and proper" for the American people to give thanks "with one heart and one voice." We have inherited this spirit of unfailing optimism and faith in the future.

As we celebrate our blessings, we also must remember those less fortunate than ourselves. We think of the hungry and of people who live under the shadow of oppression and tyranny. We have a duty to help those in need and to teach our children about the virtues of charity. We must also remember the brave men and women of our armed forces who will spend Thanksgiving in foreign lands fighting for our freedom. We owe them special thanks.

I wish all Americans a happy Thanksgiving. God bless.

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