What is the connection between Thanksgiving and Civil Wars? Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War first declared Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday in 1863. There is something about desperation that brings about a sense of gratitude. Lincoln in an attempt to bring a greater sense of national unity made the declaration. Even cynics would have a hard time refuting that Lincoln understood the power and effect of faith. Phineas Gurley, a Presbyterian pastor, who had frequent discussion with Lincoln said that after Lincoln’s son, Willie’s, death and the seeing the battlefield of Gettysburg Lincoln said, “that he had lost confidence in everything but God.” Described as a skeptic earlier in life, Lincoln was evidently gracious for God’s hand in what he perceived as guiding him and the nation. Lincoln also couldn’t have been ignorant of the history of “thanksgiving days.” The Puritans, called that by their opponents, were those who wanted to cut out the elaborate setting of religion and find their spiritual basis only in the written revelation of scripture, the Bible. They were oppressed and persecuted for their “radical” views in England in the 16th and 17th centuries. These views included a desire for equality. Many of the lower class couldn’t support their family in general. By missing work for all the Holy Days that existed, it put even more stress on their situation. In place of honoring specific people of the past, they decided to declare “Days of thanksgiving.” Days of fasts were also declared. This is recorded in some of the state’s histories in what would later be the United States. Getting a dozen people together for feasting is much easier than getting a dozen people to fast, and so, the concept of Thanksgiving Day had a deep root in American History. The faith and desire of the Puritans to see justice - for the poor to have all that they needed is admirable. Their views rooted in faith and justice were a threat to the English crown and the bishops of the Church of England who generally supported the upper class to the neglect of the poor. The oppression and persecution that the Puritans faced up to 1649 (when the king was put on trial and executed) also gave them a desire to set aside days for Thanksgiving. It is in times of trial and difficulty that we can often be the most thankful. Take time to give thanks for what is really important in your life.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Nov 2013 18:34:13 +0000
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