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Origins of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving dates back to 1621 when the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians joined together for a harvest
feast. -
Letter was Discovered
A letter from Edward Winslow was discovered which said the feast that happened in 1621 was the "first thanksgiving". The letter was discovered by historian Alexander Young. -
Lobbying for Holiday
Sarah Hale began lobbying to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. She wanted to make it the last Thursday of November. -
Thanksgiving becomes National Holiday
After the Union's victories during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln declared just a day of thanksgiving. He then received a letter from Sara Hale and agreed to making Thanksgiving a national holiday during the last Thursday of each month. -
Breaking the Tradition
President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the tradition to having Thanksgiving on the next-to-last Thursday of each month. The reason behind the change was to extend the Christmas shopping season by a week. -
Changes for Good
President Roosevelt signed legislation making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday of each month. This was done to avoid confusion -
Thanksgiving Becomes Holiday
General George Washington gave orders to make December 18, 1977 a day for "Thanksgiving and Praise". He did this to celebrate the American Revolution. -