Broadside of Lincoln's Proclamation for the First National Day of Thanksgiving

LINCOLN, Abraham. LINCOLN, Abraham.

Proclamation of Thanksgiving [Broadside].

Massachusetts, 1863.

Massachusetts: 1863].

Letterpress broadside (27 3/4 x 20 in.; 708 x 508 mm) on paper, incorporating several display and ornamental fonts, as well as the seal of Massachusetts, docketed on the verso "Post Office Hanover.' Some light offsetting. Nearly invisible professional repairs to the verso along the folds. A very nice example of this rare and important broadside

This original broadside produced in Massachusetts is formatted in two halves with the top half being Governor John A. Andrew's announcement of Lincoln's Proclamation endorsing the observation of this day of Thanksgiving in his state, dated July 27 1863, and the bottom half being Lincoln's actual proclamation dated July 15th 1863, and announcing that August 6th shall be set aside as a National Day of Thanksgiving. Though the exact printing date is unknown, it can be assumed that it was printed within the week following July 27th.

Thanksgiving was observed as a Holiday since colonial times and each state would set aside its own day for celebration. This proclamation was the first time that the Holiday would be celebrated on a set day nation wide, making it the first observed Thanksgiving as a National Holiday.

Though later the same year, on October 3rd 1863, Lincoln made a second proclamation again announcing Thanksgiving as a Holiday, but this time in November, a date closer to the time most states had been celebrating it in the past. This earlier proclamation is actually the first time Thanksgiving was given national status, but because the second proclamation was widely accepted the knowledge of this earlier one has been somewhat forgotten, making this piece a rare and important document in the annals of American history.

Though this broadside is for the State of Massachusetts, no other broadsides from any other states that announce this date are known to exist and only three other copies of this rare document are located through OCLC.

HBS 68373.

$8,500.

Price: $8,500.00

Item #68373