Episode 12 • • 6:23 - 10:25
12: Recognition Steps
Abraham Lincoln and the History of National Thanksgiving
A historical overview of Thanksgiving traces the holiday from the Pilgrims in 1621 to George Washington's 1789 declaration. The segment highlights the 1863 proclamation by Abraham Lincoln, which established the last Thursday of November as a national holiday during the Civil War. The influence of magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale on Lincoln's decision is also noted.