Thanksgiving Proclamation
President William H. Taft
TRANSCRIPTION
[THANKSGIVING—1909.]
By the President of the United States of America.
A Proclamation.
The season of the year has returned when, in accordance with
the reverent custom established by our forefathers, the people of the United
States are wont to meet in their usual places of worship on a day of
thanksgiving appointed by the Civil Magistrate to return thanks to God for the
great mercies and benefits which they have enjoyed.
During this past year we have been highly blest. No great
calamities of flood or tempest or epidemic sickness have befallen us. We have
lived in quietness, undisturbed by wars or the rumors of wars. Peace and the
plenty of bounteous crops and of great industrial production animate a cheerful
and resolute people to all the renewed energies of beneficent industry and
material and moral progress. It is altogether fitting that we should humbly and
gratefully acknowledge the divine source of these blessings.
Therefore I hereby appoint Thursday, the twenty-fifth day of
November, as a day of general thanksgiving, and I call upon the people on that
day, laying aside their usual vocations, to repair to their churches and unite
in appropriate services of praise and thanks to Almighty God.
In Witness Whereof I have hereunto set my hand and
caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
DONE at the City of Washington this fifteenth day of
November, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and nine and of the
independence of the United States the one hundred and thirty-fourth.
WM H TAFT
By the President:
P C KNOX
Secretary of State.
[No. 883.]
ANALYSIS
President William Howard Taft’s 1909 Thanksgiving
Proclamation is a concise but elegant reflection of the Edwardian-era American
ethos: modest in tone, formal in structure, and infused with the values of
peace, industry, and religious gratitude.
1. Invocation of National Tradition
Taft begins with an appeal to American historical custom,
echoing themes present in presidential proclamations since George Washington.
By referencing the “reverent custom established by our forefathers,” Taft ties
his message to both civic continuity and religious observance.
2. Emphasis on Tranquility and Prosperity
Unlike the proclamations of McKinley a decade earlier, which
emphasized war and imperial responsibility, Taft’s 1909 message highlights a
year of “quietness, undisturbed by wars or the rumors of wars.” This shift
reflects a moment of internal focus for the United States—after years of
expansion, the nation was enjoying economic growth and domestic peace.
Taft celebrates:
- Absence of natural
disaster or pestilence
- Abundant agricultural
harvests
- Strong industrial
production
- Renewed moral and
economic energy
The tone is optimistic and pragmatic, reflecting Taft’s
legalistic and administrative style of leadership.
3. Moral and Religious Undertone
The President describes the American people as “cheerful and
resolute,” animated by both “material and moral progress.” He calls for humble
recognition of the “divine source” of blessings, reaffirming the spiritual
dimension of the holiday without theological flourish. His recommendation for
citizens to lay aside their labors and gather for praise marks Thanksgiving as
a day of national moral accounting.
4. Economy of Language
Taft’s proclamation is notably shorter and more restrained
than those of his predecessors. It avoids political commentary, refrains from
mention of foreign affairs or social issues, and focuses entirely on giving
thanks. This aligns with Taft’s characteristic preference for order and process
over rhetoric or ideology.
Conclusion
William H. Taft’s 1909 Thanksgiving Proclamation embodies a
calm, measured approach to presidential leadership. It reflects an era of
domestic consolidation and peaceful prosperity, invoking gratitude not amid
crisis or conflict, but in the midst of quiet abundance. The document stands as
a reminder that Thanksgiving has often been a mirror of the times: whether in
war or peace, hardship or plenty, the call to give thanks remains a defining
act of national unity. Transcription
and Analysis by ChatGPT – OpenAI
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