Thanksgiving was officially declared a national holiday in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln. Amid the turmoil of the Civil War, Lincoln issued a proclamation designating the last Thursday of November as a day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." Lincoln was heavily influenced by Sarah Josepha Hale, a writer, editor, and advocate who had campaigned for years to establish a national day of thanks. In his proclamation, Lincoln urged Americans to pause, reflect, and recognize the blessings that endured, even amid the tragedy and despair of war.
