Thanksgiving in 1865

Thanksgiving in 1865

The following woodcut by Winslow Homer depicts the inaugural celebration of Thanksgiving as an official national holiday in the aftermath of the Civil War. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving as a nationally recognized holiday, marking this...
Sarah Hale and Thanksgiving

Sarah Hale and Thanksgiving

While in office, Presidents George Washington, John Adams, and James Madison all proclaimed national days of Thanksgiving, but in the years that followed, the majority of these celebrations were restricted to specific states or territories. Journalist Sarah Josepha...
Thanksgiving During the Civil War

Thanksgiving During the Civil War

Check out the following famous Thomas Nast illustration of Thanksgiving during the Civil War. Titled “United We Stand,” this cartoon from Harper’s Weekly in 1864 shows President Abraham Lincoln, US Army soldiers, and a host of others gathered...