who encouraged abraham lincoln to create thanksgiving day in 1863

Abraham Lincoln was encouraged to create a national Thanksgiving Day in 1863 by Sarah Josepha Hale , a prominent magazine editor and writer.

Who She Was

Sarah Josepha Hale was the longtime editor of the popular 19th‑century magazine Godey’s Lady’s Book , one of the most influential women’s publications in the United States at the time. She was also an author, best remembered today as the writer of the children’s poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

How She Influenced Lincoln

Hale had campaigned for a national Thanksgiving for years by writing editorials and sending letters to presidents and other politicians, arguing that a shared day of thanks would help unify the country. On September 28, 1863, she wrote directly to President Lincoln urging him to make a national “Union Festival” of Thanksgiving on the same day across all states.

Lincoln’s 1863 Proclamation

Soon after receiving Hale’s letter, Lincoln issued his famous Thanksgiving Proclamation on October 3, 1863, calling for a national day of thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November. This act effectively established the tradition of an annual national Thanksgiving holiday that the United States has observed ever since.

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