Thanksgiving and America

BY MELANIE KIRKPATRICK, WRITER AND JOURNALIST, SENIOR FELLOW AT THE HUDSON INSTITUTE

Speech given on Grand Lodge Masonic Day of Thanksgiving and Remembrance October 11, 2019, George Washington Masonic National Memorial, Alexandria, Virginia

My subject this evening is Thanksgiving and America. But let me begin with another American holiday: Independence Day. One Fourth of July in the 1980’s, when I was working for Th Asian Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong, I read a tidbit in a local newspaper about the American Day of Independence. Across the United States today, the columnist declared, families are celebrating the birth of their nation by sitting down to turkey dinners with all the trimmings.

I had had a good laugh over the writer’s confusion about America’s national holidays. But it also set me to thinking. In some sense, this was a natural error. A non-American could be forgiven for conflating these two home-grown holidays. Both bind Americans to the larger history of our nation. Thanksgiving isn’t a patriotic holiday per se, but it is full of patriotic feeling as we join together to give thanks for our shared blessings as a nation. The best expression of this aspect of Thanksgiving Day comes from a Freemason—Benjamin Franklin. Franklin called Thanksgiving a day “of public Felicity,” a time to express gratitude to God for the “full Enjoyment of Liberty, civil and religious.”

Thanksgiving is Americans’ oldest tradition, dating back 1621, when the Pilgrims joined together with Native Americans to celebrate the harvest. The holiday has grown up with the country, and it says a lot about who we Americans are. It reflects our national identity as a grateful, generous, and inclusive people. No matter when our ancestors arrived in American, when we our place at the Thanksgiving table we is part of a continuum that dates back to that harvest feast 398 years ago. The friendly coexistence between the English settlers and the Native Americans would last only a short period before erupting in war. But that original Thanksgiving pointed the way to the diverse, multicultural people we have become.

My research into Thanksgiving covers many aspects of the holiday. I learned about Thanksgivings in Virginia, Texas, Maine and Florida that pre-dated the arrival of the Pilgrims. I traced the development of our charitable traditions of caring for the less fortunate on Thanksgiving Day. I looked at how football became part of Thanksgiving rituals. And of course, there’s dinner. I studied the history of Thanksgiving dinner and how it came to pass that on the fourth Thursday of November the vast majority of Americans sit down to the same meal of turkey, cranberries, potatoes and pie. I’d welcome questions on those topics, and more. This evening, though, I want to devote my remarks to the aspect of the holiday that Benjamin Franklin particularly admired. That is, Thanksgiving as a time for expressing gratitude for the “full Enjoyment of Liberty” I'll give illustrations from each of the centuries since the First Thanksgiving.

First, the Pilgrims. There are two eyewitness accounts of the First Thanksgiving, Yet the word “thanksgiving” doesn’t appear in either of them. If you could travel back in time to 1621, and ask a Pilgrim to define “Thanksgiving Day,” his answer might surprise you. For the Pilgrims, a “day of thanksgiving” wasn’t marked by feasting, family, and fellowship— the happy hallmarks of the holiday we now celebrate.

Rather, for the Pilgrims, days of thanksgiving were days of religious observance. The original Thanksgivings were called to express gratitude to God for specific beneficences such as a successful harvest, propitious weather, or a military victory. For the Pilgrims and other early European immigrants to our shores, a “thanksgiving day” was profoundly religious, set aside for prayer and worship.

From the Pilgrims’ perspective, their First Thanksgiving in the new world didn’t take place until two years after the event we know as the First Thanksgiving. It was July 1623, and the governor declared a day of thanksgiving in gratitude for a rainfall that ended a drought and saved their harvest. All of the 13 colonies observed religious days of Thanksgiving—and they were the most direct influence on the development of the Thanksgiving holiday.

At some point in the 1600’s, each New England colony began to designate annual Thanksgiving days, usually in the autumn around the time of the harvest. These celebrations were deemed “general” thanksgivings. That is, they weren't called for a specific event or blessing, as had previously been the case, but for ordinary, everyday blessings. Connecticut was the first to name a day of general Thanksgiving – in 1639 – and to make it an annual event. This was an important step toward the holiday we know today.

Connecticut's decision to call a day of thanksgiving for general blessings was controversial. Opponents argued that celebrating an annual thanksgiving for general blessings rather than for a specific reason would make people take God’s generosity for granted. How

ever, the idea caught on and by the end of the 17th century general Thanksgivings were the norm. Thanksgiving morning was usually spent at church, with the afternoon and evening devoted to feasting with family and friends.

By the time of the American Revolution Thanksgiving was a wellestablished tradition, especially in New England. Then, in the fall of 1789, President George Washington, proclaimed America’s first Thanksgiving as a nation. This was the first presidential proclamation of any sort.

Believe it or not, the idea of a national Thanksgiving was controversial, and there was a vigorous debate in Congress about whether the President had the constitutional authority to designate a Thanksgiving Day. There were two objections: The first had to do with the separation of powers. Opponents argued that the authority to proclaim a national Thanksgiving rested with governors, not the President. The second objection concerned the separation of church and state. Thanksgiving, it was argued, was a religious holiday. It was therefore inappropriate for a president to involve himself.

Washington deftly addressed these objections. He sent his Thanksgiving proclamation to every governor requesting – not ordering – them to implement it. In doing so, he was acknowledging that a presidential proclamation doesn’t have the force of law. Second, his Thanksgiving proclamation was religiously inclusive. In doing this, he set a valuable precedent—one that subsequent presidents have followed. I’m reminded here of what I understand to be the tradition of Freemasonry, which is open to men of every faith.

After Washington and into the first half of the 19th century, presidents mostly declined to call national Thanksgivings. Governors named Thanksgiving Days, but without coordinating with one another. The confusing result was that the date of Thanksgiving varied from state to state. Many states celebrated in November, but a few marked the holiday in October or even in early December.

Then, in 1863, Lincoln decided to call a national Thanksgiving. What – or who? – motivated him to do so? The answer is a woman who is known as the godmother of Thanksgiving. Her name is Sarah Josepha Hale – and as I will explain, her life story has particular relevance to Masons. In a way, you could even say that Masons are indirectly responsible for our annual Thanksgiving holiday.

Sarah Josepha Hale was the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book, one of the most influential periodicals of its day. This was an extraordinary achievement for a woman in the antebellum period. But she wouldn’t have achieved such success without the help of the Masons in her hometown of Newport, New Hampshire, who helped launch her career as a writer and editor after the premature death of her husband. David Hale was a prominent Mason in Newport. When he died unexpectedly, leaving Mrs. Hale with four small children and a fifth on the way, his brother Masons sprang to support the family. The Masons underwrote the publication of Mrs. Hale’s first book, the success of which helped bring her to the attention of a clergyman in Boston – a man also believed to be a Mason – who was looking for a woman to edit a ladies’ magazine he was starting. Mrs. Hale got the job and built the new magazine into the first successful magazine for women. By the 1840’s, when she launched her editorial campaign for a national Thanksgiving, Mrs. Hale was one of the most famous women in America.

For years, Mrs. Hale used the pages of her powerful magazine to campaign for a national Thanksgiving. As the country moved toward Civil War, she believed that a national celebration of Thanksgiving would help preserve the union. Thanksgiving, she believed, had what she called a “deep moral influence” on the character of the nation. She also sent hundreds of personal letters to presidents, governors, congressmen and other influential Americans seeking their support for a national Thanksgiving. Presidents Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan all declined to do so.

Then in 1863, after receiving a persuasive letter from Mrs. Hale, Lincoln called a national Thanksgiving. It was the middle of the Civil War, and Lincoln used the opportunity to appeal to national unity, setting the tone for the day when the country would once again be united. He called on every American – North and South – to celebrate Thanksgiving “with one heart and one voice.” Following Washington's example, Lincoln set Thanksgiving Day for the last Thursday of November. After Lincoln, Presidents Andrew Johnson and Ulysses S. Grant – both Masons – issued Thanksgiving proclamation, as has done every subsequent president up to the present day. Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation is regarded as the beginning of our national Thanksgiving holiday.

But there remained a snag before Mrs. Hale's dream of a national Thanksgiving was fully realized. While the overwhelming majority of governors went along with the date that Lincoln and later presidents named for Thanksgiving, they were under no obligation to do so. Presidential proclamations don’t have the force of law. That would require an act of Congress. For that, the country would have to wait until the twentieth century.

(continued on next page)

Here again, a Mason played a key role in the history of tradition: “Has the president given any thought to abolishing winThanksgiving It was a Mason – President Franklin Delter?” he inquired. ano Roosevelt – who inadvertently goaded Congress into action. He had the temerity to change the date of Thanksgiving. Finally, in 1941, Roosevelt admitted defeat and said that ThanksIn August 1939, FDR announced that he had decided to move to take action and it passed legislation fixing the date of future Thanksgiving forward by a week—that is, a week earlier than what Thanksgivings as the fourth Thursday of November. Roosevelt had by then become the traditional last Thursday of the month. signed it into law. The country was in the midst of the Great Depression, and the president’s stated reason was economic. There were five Thursdays Finally, here in the 21st century, I’d like to recount a personal story in November that year, which meant that Thanksgiving Day, if celthat, for me, gives special meaning to Benjamin Franklin's characebrated on the last Thursday, would terization of Thanksgiving as a time fall on the 30th of the month. That to give thanks for the “full Enjoyment left just twenty shopping days till of Liberty, civil and religious.” Christmas. Moving the holiday up a week to November 23 would allow shoppers more time to make their purchases and—so the president’s dubious theory went—spend more money, thus giving the economy a lift. Franklin’s words were hammered home at many points during in the course of my research into Thanksgiving, but no more so than by the teenagers I interviewed at in a New York City high school for immigrants. At his press conference, Roosevelt Newcomers High School is located in made the mistake of remarking that Queens, New York and on the day I there was “nothing sacred” about the visited, about a week before Thanksdate of Thanksgiving. He might as giving, the school was home to 850 well have commanded that roast beef students from more than 60 counhenceforth replace turkey as the star tries. They spoke 40 languages. I led of the holiday meal. The president discussions in three classes about the badly misread public opinion. His Thanksgiving holiday, which most of announcement was front-page news the teen-agers were about to celebrate the next day, and the public outcry for the first time. was swift and vociferous. These young newcomers had a very College football coaches were particpersonal understanding of the earliularly upset since most colleges ended est story at the heart of the American their football seasons on Thanksgivexperience. For them, the Pilgrim ing weekend. It was impossible to story was their story, and the Pilgrim change the game schedule at such a fathers and mothers were historical late date. reflections of themselves. The PilMelanie Kirkpatrick speaks during the Grand Lodge's grims themselves had been divided Roosevelt’s switch turned ThanksMasonic Day of Thanksgiving on October 11th. into two groups: those who came to giving Day 1939 into a political hot the New World seeking religious freepotato. Now politicians had to read public opinion, examine the dom and those who came here seeking better lives for themselves local business climate, consider political loyalties, and then decide and their families. This was also the case for the students I met. which date to endorse as the official Thanksgiving. Do they stick so polite. He sarcastically suggested that Roosevelt break another giving would return to its traditional date. Congress decided with tradition and celebrate the holiday on November 30, or follow A girl from Ivory Coast explained how her father had worked as a FDR’s lead and change the date to November 23? houseboy in the old country. Now, she proudly told me, he has a good job with the Metropolitan Transit Authority. Other kids came The forty-eight states were nearly evenly divided on the question. to the United States in search of the freedom to worship as they Twenty-three decided to stick with November 30, while twentypleased. One boy told me he was from Tibet, a country that has not two adopted FDR’s date of November 23. The remaining three existed formally since China annexed it in 1950. He explained that – Texas, Mississippi, and Colorado – said they would celebrate on his Buddhist family couldn’t practice the religion of the Dalai Lama both days. in China. But here in America, he proudly told me, they could worIt wasn’t long before people started referring to November 30 as said, and she was a Copt, which is an ancient form of Christianity. the “Republican Thanksgiving” and November 23 as the “DemoHer family had come to this country so that they could worship cratic Thanksgiving” or even “Franksgiving.” One Senator wasn’t their religion without fear. ship without fear. Then a girl spoke up. She was from Egypt, she

For the students at Newcomers High, the Pilgrims' story mirrored their own experiences, and they exuberantly claimed Thanksgiving as their own. For them, Thanksgiving was a rite of passage on their journey to American citizenship. I was reminded of the words of the late historian, Samuel Eliot Morison, who famously wrote that the Pilgrims are the spiritual ancestors of all Americans whatever their stock, race or creed. This brings me to the present day and a closing thought about our coming Thanksgiving Day. This year, Thanksgiving Day takes place on November 28, amid a political season characterized by an exceptionally ugly political discourse. Many Americans are asking, can't we do better. As we gather together on Thanksgiving Day next month, I pray it will be a healing moment for our nation, a time to take stock of our many shared blessings, a time to consider what unites us as a nation, not what divides us. Let us remember Benjamin Franklin’s description of Thanksgiving as a time to give thanks to God for We are still working on rehanging art and arranging museum displays, but after a couple of months of hard decisions and dusty construction work, we feel we have created a new, clean, energy efficient space in which we can all take a great sense of pride in and that will be a more ideal gallery to display our extraordinary archive of Masonic relics and history. But more importantly, we hope it is a place of pride for Brothers to meet and interact with old and new friends as they go about the important work of Masonry.  the “full enjoyment of Liberty, civil and religious.” Like Franklin, Washington, Lincoln, Sarah Josepha Hale, and others have enriched our Thanksgiving tradition and helped to knit us together as a nation. This history, and more, is worthy of our remembrance, with grateful hearts, on every Thanksgiving Day. Thank you— and let me be the first to wish you

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Grand Master and Melanie pose for the camera while Charbel holds a copy of her book, "Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience." About the Author: Melanie Kirkpatrick Melanie Kirkpatrick is a writerjournalist based in Connecticut and a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. She contributes reviews and commentary to various publications, including the opinion pages of Th Wall Street Journal, for which she worked from 1980 until mid-2009. Her books, Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience (2016) and Escape from North Korea: The Untold Story of Asia’s Underground Railroad, are published by

Georgetown Masonic Hall Gets a Facelift

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7)

Encounter Books. 

New museum displays and artwork will soon be installed