My Thanksgiving Post
On October 3, 1789, at the urging of both the House and Senate, President George Washington officially declared Thursday, November 26, 1789, to be “a day of publick thanksgiving and prayer”:
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 Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested 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 establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:’
NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service 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 sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation….
To read the full proclamation and view a photo of the original, click this link: George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Day Proclamation
The word “thank” is a transitive verb; that is, it requires a direct object. When I “thank,”