George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation

Here it is in its entirety, ver­ba­tim from the original -

Gen­eral Thanks­giv­ing
By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of Amer­ica
A PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowl­edge the prov­i­dence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grate­ful for His ben­e­fits, and humbly to implore His pro­tec­tion and favour; and Whereas both Houfes of Con­gress have, by their joint com­mit­tee, requefted me “to rec­om­mend to the peo­ple of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowl­edg­ing with grate­ful hearts the many and sig­nal favors of Almighty God, espe­cially by afford­ing them an oppor­tu­nity peace­ably to eftablifh a form of gov­ern­ment for their safety and happiness:”

NOW THEREFORE, I do rec­om­mend and affign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the peo­ple of thefe States to the fer­vice of that great and glo­ri­ous Being who is the benef­i­cent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in ren­der­ing unto Him our fin­cere and hum­ble thanks­for His kind care and pro­tec­tion of the peo­ple of this coun­try pre­vi­ous to their becom­ing a nation; for the fig­nal and man­i­fold mer­cies and the favor­able inter­pofi­tions of His prov­i­dence in the courfe and con­clu­fion of the late war; for the great degree of tran­quil­ity, union, and plenty which we have fince enjoyed;– for the peace­able and ratio­nal man­ner in which we have been enable to eftab­lish Con­fti­tu­tions of gov­ern­ment for our fafety and hap­pinefs, and par­tic­u­larly the national one now lately insti­tuted;– for the civil and reli­gious lib­erty with which we are bleffed, and the means we have of acquir­ing and dif­fuf­ing use­ful knowl­edge;– and, in gen­eral, for all the great and var­i­ous favours which He has been pleafed to con­fer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in moft humbly offer­ing our prayers and fup­pli­ca­tions to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and befeech Him to par­don our national and other tran­f­gr­ef­fions;– to enable us all, whether in pub­lick or pri­vate fta­tions, to per­form our feveral and rel­a­tive duties prop­erly and punc­tu­ally; to ren­der our National Gov­ern­ment a bleff­ing to all the peo­ple by con­f­tantly being a Gov­ern­ment of wife, juft, and con­fti­tu­tional laws, difcreetly and faith­fully exe­cuted and obeyed; to pro­tect and guide all fov­er­eigns and nations (espe­cially fuch as have shewn kind­nefs unto us); and to blefs them with good gov­ern­ments, peace, and con­cord; to pro­mote the knowl­edge and prac­tice of true reli­gion and virtue, and the increafe of fcience among them and us; and, gen­er­ally to grant unto all mankind fuch a degree of tem­po­ral prof­per­ity as he alone knows to be beft.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of Octo­ber, in the year of our Lord, one thou­sand feven hun­dred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington