CINCINNATI -- Back in 1863, few were thinking about making any Thanksgiving Day plans. That is, until people opened their newspapers and read a national Thanksgiving Day proclamation by President ...

For many Americans, it may be hard to feel thankful this Thanksgiving in light of what a tough year it's been. But that was also the case in 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln first set aside the ...

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget ...

President Abraham Lincoln’s powerful Thanksgiving proclamation, issued amid the carnage of the Civil War, gave the holiday its statement of purpose. It is "to set apart and observe the last Thursday ...

Editor's note: At the height of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving proclamation to encourage Americans “in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea, ...

We tend to associate Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims in 1621. Shiny square buckles on boxy black shoes and a feast with the Indians, but in fact, this cherished national holiday actually began ...

The human tradition of thanksgiving runs back to ancient times as a celebration of bountiful harvests and the need to be respectful to whatever gods or supernatural forces were thought to have made ...

Editor's note: In an effort to further promote unity in the United States, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation in 1863 calling for a singular day to mark Thanksgiving. At the time, it was ...

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Though many American presidents have played a role in the tradition of Thanksgiving in the United States, Abraham Lincoln was the first to make it an official holiday in November. This Thanksgiving, ...

The Thanksgiving story most of us hear is about friendship, unity. But when Abraham Lincoln proclaimed it a national holiday in 1863, he likely wasn't thinking about pilgrims and Native Americans. He ...

President Abraham Lincoln issued his famous “Proclamation of Thanksgiving” on Oct. 3, 1863, with the Civil War still raging. As is our annual tradition, we reproduce the text below in commemoration of ...