History Daily – "Washington’s Thanksgiving"

Date: November 26, 2025
Host: Lindsay Graham
Podcast: History Daily
Episode Theme:
This episode explores the origins of the first national Thanksgiving in 1789, proclaimed by President George Washington. It examines the historical context of the holiday’s inception—set against post-Revolutionary discord, the formation of the U.S. Constitution, and early attempts to unify a divided nation—and traces how Thanksgiving eventually became a national tradition through Abraham Lincoln’s leadership during the Civil War.

Main Theme and Purpose

• The episode investigates how George Washington attempted to use a national day of Thanksgiving to unify the fledgling nation after years of turmoil, rebellion, and political strife.
• It details the political debates over creating such a holiday, the social conditions of the time, and how Thanksgiving ultimately evolved into a cornerstone American tradition decades later.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shays’ Rebellion and the Need for Unity

(00:00 – 03:55)

• Opens with a vivid retelling of Shays’ Rebellion in 1787, highlighting the fragility of the young republic—American veterans, led by Daniel Shays, rise up against harsh economic conditions.

  • “[Washington’s] search for unity will eventually lead him to inaugurate a very Special Holiday on November 26, 1789.” (03:50, Lindsay Graham)

• The conflict and its aftermath alarm Washington and shape his sense of duty to prevent further division.

2. Washington’s Reluctant Presidency

(05:30 – 10:00)

• April 1789: Washington travels from Mount Vernon to New York for his inauguration as the first U.S. president. Despite public adoration, he feels foreboding about the enormity of the task:

  • “Washington feels like a man heading for the gallows. He wants to stay home and enjoy retirement. But the divided country needs a strong leader to bring its people together.” (06:06, Lindsay Graham)

• Encounters with cheering citizens offer him hope that unity might be achieved, but he recognizes he cannot accomplish this alone.

3. The Push for a National Thanksgiving

(10:00 – 11:14 and 14:07 – 18:00)

• September 1789: Washington meets Congressmen, who, led by Elias Boudinot of New Jersey, propose a national day of Thanksgiving. Washington sees merit in a unifying holiday.

  • Thanksgiving traditions existed at colonial and local levels, but not yet as a national event.
  • “Washington gives the Congressman his nod to proceed.” (09:45, Lindsay Graham)

• Congressman Thomas Tudor Tucker, an anti-Federalist from South Carolina, opposes the motion, challenging both the government’s authority to impose religious observance and the celebration of a still-contentious Constitution:

  • “‘Why should the President direct the people to do what perhaps they have no mind to do?’” (15:10, paraphrased from Lindsay Graham)
  • Tucker’s opposition is overridden—Boudinot’s resolution passes Congress and is approved by the Senate.

4. Thanksgiving Day, 1789

(18:00 – 20:00)

• November 26, 1789: Washington, dressed in formal black velvet, attends St. Paul’s Chapel in New York for Thanksgiving services.

  • Despite promotion in the newspapers, poor weather keeps most people home, and the church is nearly empty.
  • “Washington’s steps echo as he takes his usual pew in the nearly deserted church... The disappointed president will abandon any ideas he had of making Thanksgiving an annual celebration.” (19:40, Lindsay Graham)

• The initial attempt to institutionalize Thanksgiving fails to gain tradition. Another 74 years would pass before another president would try.

5. Thanksgiving and Abraham Lincoln

(21:00 – 25:00)

• 1863: During the Civil War, Lincoln receives a letter from Sarah Josepha Hale, urging for a uniform, national Thanksgiving holiday.

  • Thanksgiving observance was patchy—some states observed, others did not, and dates varied.
  • Hale writes:

    “You may have observed that for some years past, there has been an increasing interest felt in our land to have the Thanksgiving held on the same day in all the states. It now needs national recognition and authoritative fixation only to become permanently an American custom and institution.” (23:10, quoted by Lindsay Graham)

  • Lincoln responds swiftly.

    “[Lincoln] encouraged people in every part of the United States to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and prayer to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.” (24:10, Lindsay Graham)

• Lincoln’s proclamation (October 3, 1863) cements Thanksgiving as a lasting national tradition, rooted in both unity and hope amid division and loss.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | | --------- | ----- | ------- | | 03:50 | “Washington’s search for unity will eventually lead him to inaugurate a very Special Holiday on November 26, 1789.” | Lindsay Graham | | 06:06 | “Washington feels like a man heading for the gallows. He wants to stay home and enjoy retirement. But the divided country needs a strong leader to bring its people together.” | Lindsay Graham | | 15:10 | “Why should the President direct the people to do what perhaps they have no mind to do?” | Thomas Tudor Tucker (as related by Lindsay Graham) | | 19:40 | “Washington’s steps echo as he takes his usual pew in the nearly deserted church... The disappointed president will abandon any ideas he had of making Thanksgiving an annual celebration.” | Lindsay Graham | | 23:10 | “You may have observed that for some years past, there has been an increasing interest felt in our land to have the Thanksgiving held on the same day in all the states. It now needs national recognition and authoritative fixation only to become permanently an American custom and institution.” | Sarah Josepha Hale (quoted) | | 24:10 | “[Lincoln] encouraged people in every part of the United States to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and prayer to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.” | Lindsay Graham |

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:00 – 03:55 – Shays’ Rebellion sets the stage for Washington’s quest for unity
• 05:30 – 10:00 – Washington’s inaugural journey & emotional state
• 10:00 – 11:14 – Congress proposes a national day of Thanksgiving
• 14:07 – 18:00 – Congressional debate and passage of the Thanksgiving motion
• 18:00 – 20:00 – Thanksgiving Day, 1789: Washington’s experience in New York
• 21:00 – 25:00 – Thanksgiving revisited by Lincoln and established as a national tradition

Overall Tone and Style

• Immersive and narrative-driven, the episode brings history to life with dramatic detail, period context, and reflections on leadership and unity.
• Lindsay Graham maintains a reverent, measured storytelling tone, occasionally voicing the anxieties or hopes of his historical subjects.

Summary Takeaways

• The first national Thanksgiving in 1789 was born from Washington’s desire to heal post-revolutionary divisions but failed to take hold as a true recurring tradition.
• Deep divisions—over the Constitution, the role of government, and religion—framed both the call for a special day and the resistance to it.
• Only in 1863, under Lincoln and amid Civil War, did Thanksgiving find renewed purpose and become the unifying American holiday we know today.
• The episode emphasizes how national traditions often arise from moments of deep conflict—but also from determined hopes for unity.