It having pleased Almighty God, through the course of the present year, to bestow great and manifold mercies on the people of these United States; and it being the indispensable duty of all men gratefully to acknowledge their obligations to Him for benefits received: Resolved, That it be, and hereby is recommended to the legislative or executive authority of each of the said states, to appoint Wednesday, the 30th day of December next, to be observed as a day of public thanksgiving and praise, that all the people may, with united hearts, on that day, express a just sense of his unmerited favors; particularly in that it hath pleased him, by his overruling providence, to support us in a just and necessary war, for the defense of our rights and liberties, by affording us seasonable supplies for our armies, by disposing the heart of a powerful monarch to enter into alliance with us, and aid our cause; by defeating the councils and evil designs of our enemies, and giving us victory over their troops; and, by the continuance of that union among these states, which, by his blessing, will be their future strength and glory. And it is further recommended, that, together with devout thanksgiving, may be joined a penitent confession of our sins, and humble supplication for pardon, through the merits of our Savior; so that, under the smiles of Heaven, our public councils may be directed, our arms by land and sea prospered, our liberty and independence secured, our schools and seminaries of learning flourish, our trade be revived, our husbandry and manufactures encreased, and the hearts of all impressed with undissembled piety, with benevolence and zeal for the public good. And it is also recommended, that recreations unsuitable to the purpose of such a solemnity may be omitted on that day. (from pilgrimhall.org)
At the time this proclamation was issued, the future of the American cause seemed uncertain. On the one hand, the Americans had gained an ally, France (note that the proclamation expresses gratitude to God for "disposing the heart of a powerful monarch [Louis XVI of France] into an alliance with us"), and the Continental Army under George Washington had fought the British to a draw in the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse earlier in the summer. On the other hand, a joint Franco-American force had failed to take Newport, Rhode Island from the British, and a few days after the proclamation was issued, the British would launch an ultimately successful invasion of Georgia, which would lead to further British victories in the American South. Nevertheless, the tone of the proclamation seems rather positive.
In addition to its generally positive tone, it is also notable that the proclamation calls for the American people to engage in not only "devout thanksgiving," but also "a penitent confession of [their] sins, and humble supplication for pardon, through the merits of our Savior." Such language demonstrates that for the American people at that time, a day of thanksgiving was not only a day for rejoicing but also for repentance--a concept that I suspect is rather foreign to most Americans today. Also note the unapologetically Christian language--"merits of our Savior"--which tends to undermine the notion that the American Revolution was rooted in Deism. Finally, notice the recommendation that "recreations unsuitable to the purpose of such a solemnity [be] omitted on that day"--so much for the idea that Thanksgiving is a day for fun.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Image of Continental Congress at prayer from Wikimedia Commons