While modern families gather for turkey and trimmings, few recall the pivotal moment an American president first institutionalised Thanksgiving. On a stormy November day in 1789, George Washington established a tradition that would become fundamental to American identity.
The First Presidential Thanksgiving
On Thursday, 26 November 1789, President George Washington began his day meticulously. Assisted by his enslaved valets William "Billy" Lee and Christopher Sheels, he prepared in his New York residence before travelling to St. Paul's Chapel. Despite miserable weather that kept most New Yorkers indoors, the president attended a Thanksgiving service, fulfilling the proclamation he'd issued the previous October.
Washington's commitment extended beyond religious observance. In a remarkable gesture of civic duty, he donated personal funds to provide beer and food for debtors imprisoned in New York City jail. The following week, these prisoners publicly thanked their president in the New York Journal, demonstrating how Washington's actions resonated throughout society.
Forging National Unity Through Tradition
Though Thanksgiving celebrations dated back to the 1621 Plymouth harvest feast with the Wampanoag tribe, and a national observance occurred during the Revolutionary War in 1777, Washington envisioned something greater. His 1789 proclamation called Americans to devote themselves to "that great and glorious Being" while simultaneously addressing the fragile nation's political needs.
Professor Maurizio Valsania, a Washington biographer, argues this event represented a crucial element of Washington's political strategy. "Washington wanted a virtuous kind of populism," Valsania explains. The president sought to engage directly with citizens through shared rituals and worship, building trust in the new federal government.
A Legacy Beyond the Feast
Washington understood his symbolic power as president required constant public engagement. In an era without social media, he attended balls, dinners, and church services, meeting diverse Americans including women, Jewish leaders, textile workers, and enslaved individuals. Each interaction, including the 1789 Thanksgiving, helped invent a new political theatre that made ordinary citizens feel included in the nation's political culture.
The president's proclamation acknowledged the nation's imperfections, asking God "to pardon our national and other transgressions." This humility reflected Washington's self-awareness as a slave owner and military leader who recognised his own flaws. His Thanksgiving vision sought to transform these acknowledgements into national unity, hoping Americans might "all unite" despite their differences.
While Abraham Lincoln would later establish Thanksgiving as an annual federal holiday in 1863, Washington's 1789 proclamation created the template. It demonstrated how a national celebration could blend religious gratitude with civic purpose, establishing a tradition that continues to shape American identity centuries later.
