Today in History: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving turkey
Today in History–November 26–the Library of Congress features Thanksgiving, designated by President George Washington on this date in 1789. Seventy-four years later, in 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving Proclamation that declared the last Thursday in November national Thanksgiving Day. Learn more about U.S. Thanksgiving traditions by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access more primary sources, secondary sources, and teaching resources.

Thanksgiving primary source set with teacher’s guide

Tom Bober‘s Favorite Thanksgiving primary sources

Thanksgiving image set

Thanksgiving sheet music

Thanksgiving polka song recording

The Leaves’ song song recording

Thanksgiving addresses

Founders Give Thanks: Congressional proclamation issued on October 11, 1782

Thanksgiving: select historical newspaper articles

Modern legislation related to Thanksgiving

Who Celebrated the “First Thanksgiving”?

Thanksgiving timeline

Thanksgiving Remembered: Stories from History

In Celebration of Thanksgiving: The Meal, a Sermon, and a Poem

Somali Food Traditions at Thanksgiving event recording

Thanksgiving treasures

Thanksgiving featured images

Teaching resources

Teaching with the Library of Congress blog posts

Inside Adams blog

Minerva’s Kaleidoscope blog posts

More Library blog posts

Related resources