A Nation Blessed: Thanksgiving Reflections from America’s Founding to Today

From Washington to Lincoln, a Day Shaped by Providence and the American Spirit

Thanksgiving has always been more than a date on the calendar. It is one of the oldest national traditions we possess — a reminder that from the very beginning, Americans have been a people who pause, look upward, and give thanks for blessings we know we did not create on our own. Across generations, through prosperity and hardship alike, this day has anchored the nation in gratitude.

In 1789, President George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving Proclamation, inviting the American people to unite in honoring “the great Lord and Ruler of Nations.” For a country still newly born, Washington made it plain that the survival of the Republic, the adoption of the Constitution, and the hope of liberty itself were all gifts flowing from a divine hand guiding the nation’s course.

Nearly three-quarters of a century later, in the darkest trial the United States had ever endured, Abraham Lincoln transformed Thanksgiving into a permanent national observance. With the Civil War raging and the nation’s future uncertain, Lincoln called Americans to acknowledge the “gracious gifts of the Most High God.” His message was clear: even in the midst of turmoil, gratitude keeps a nation steady, humble, and hopeful.

Today, as families gather across the country — from quiet rural towns to crowded city neighborhoods — we continue a tradition rooted not only in history, but in the American character. We give thanks for our freedoms, our families, and the enduring promise of a nation that has weathered every storm placed before it.

We remember those who serve and sacrifice to keep America strong — our military, our veterans, our first responders, and every family that stands behind them. We remember those facing struggle or uncertainty today, and we lift them up in prayer. Gratitude does not ignore hardship; it strengthens us through it.

And on this Thanksgiving, we offer a special prayer for the two National Guardsmen who were shot yesterday in Washington, D.C. We lift them up to the Lord and ask for His healing hand to be upon them. May He protect their families, guide their doctors, and restore them fully. Lord, we ask You to comfort them, strengthen them, and wrap them in Your peace. Bring healing where there is injury, calm where there is fear, and hope where there is uncertainty. We entrust them to You, Lord — watch over them and bring them safely through.

Thanksgiving remains one of the most distinctly American observances because it unites us in the simple acknowledgment that our blessings — our liberty, our resilience, our national character — are sustained by something greater than ourselves. Washington understood this. Lincoln understood this. And in every generation since, Americans have understood it as well.

May this day bring peace to every home, comfort to those in need, and renewed strength to our entire nation. And may God continue to watch over the United States of America.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at BallotBlog.com.— W.R. Mason, Chief Editor

Sources

1. George Washington — Thanksgiving Proclamation (Oct. 3, 1789) — National Archives

2. Abraham Lincoln — Proclamation of Thanksgiving (Oct. 3, 1863) — Library of Congress

3. National Archives — Historical Overview of Thanksgiving Proclamations