Editorial: A nation rooted in thanks

Thursday, Nov. 23, 2006 | 6:56 a.m.

While the foundation for our national day of thanksgiving and unity was laid by the pilgrims and members of the Wampanoag tribe 385 years ago, Thanksgiving was first a national holiday only 143 years ago.

What started as a New England tradition in the 17th century drew the support of 19th-century writer and publisher Sarah Josepha Hale, who lobbied the White House in hopes of creating a national holiday that would unite a nation divided by politics.

On Oct. 3, 1863, just three months after the battle at Gettysburg - the Civil War's bloodiest, with 51,000 dead - President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November of that year as an official Thanksgiving Day.

Lincoln's proclamation spoke of a year that "has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies." Despite a war that divided the nation, the president said, the support of the military effort had "not arrested the plough" or otherwise prevented Americans from cultivating their industriousness. "Population has steadily increased," Lincoln said, "and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with a large increase of freedom."

In 1942, as the United States was again engaged in war, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the law designating the fourth Thursday of November as the official Thanksgiving Day.

As we rise to greet the holiday today, our nation is once again divided politically and ensconced in war. Still, we have many reasons to be thankful.

Americans possess freedom, prosperity, economic potential and educational opportunities that those in many other nations could never dream of attaining.

Ours is a vast and strikingly beautiful country, with landscapes that draw visitors from every corner of the globe. We have reason to celebrate all that we have and hope to share.

As we gather with loved ones and bow our heads in gratitude, let us also be grateful for living in a nation that, despite its differences, shares a national day of unity and thanksgiving.