Hanson, John (1715-1783) [Thanksgiving proclamation]
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC06420.01 Author/Creator: Hanson, John (1715-1783) Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Manuscript document signed Date: 19 March [1782] Pagination: 2 p. ; 32 x 20.3 cm. Order a Copy
Signed by Hanson as President of Continental Congress and countersigned by Charles Thomson as Secretary to Congress. Proclamation from Congress calls "upon the several states, to set apart the last Thursday in April next, as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer." There is a slight paper loss to the edge of the document.
Although the document bears the year 1781, Hanson did not serve as president of Congress until November of that year. The circular letter that originally accompanied the proclamation (John Hanson to the States, 20 March 1782, Letters of Delegates to Congress, memory.loc.gov) and the Journals of the Continental Congress (JCC , 22:137-38, memory.loc.gov) both make it clear that this document was issued in 1782. Hanson apparently sent the proclamation to the heads of each state and to George Washington. The "33-a" at the top of the document (with a pencil line through it) signifies that it was likely deaccessioned from a collection.
[Draft Created by Crowdsourcing]
Proclamation
The goodness of the Supreme Being to all his rational creatures, demands their acknowledgements of gratitude and love; his absolute Government of this World dictates that is the interest of every Nation and People ardently to supplicate his favor and implore his protection.
When the best of Dominion on law lets ambition excites arbitrary power to invade the rights or endeavour to wrest from a People their sacred and invaluable privileges and compels them in defence of the same to encounter all ^the <word added in by author at a later time> honors and calamities of a bloody and vindictive War, then is that People loudly ^called <word added in by author at a later time> upon to fly unto that God for protection who hears the cries of the distressed, and will not turn a deaf ear to the supplication of the oppressed.
Great Britain hitherto left the infatuated Councils and to pursue measures repugnant to her own Interest and distressing to this country, still persists in the design of subjugating these United States which will compel us into another active and ^perhaps <word added in by author at a later time> bloody Campaign.
The United States in Congress Assembled, therefore taking into consideration our present situation our multiplied transgressions of the holy law of our God, and his past acts of kindness and goodness towards us, which we ought to record with the liveliest gratitude, think it their indispensable duty to call upon the several States to set apart the last Thursday in April next as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer that our joint supplications may then ascend to the Throne of the ruler of the Universe, beseeching him to diffuse a spirit of universal reformation among all ranks of degrees of our Citizens, and make us a holy that so we be an <line or arrow indicating to following word> happy
[2]
happy People; that it would please him to impart wisdom, integrity and unanimity to our Counsellors, to bess and prosper the reign of our Illustrious Ally and give success to his Arms employed in the defense of the rights of human nature; that he would smile upon our military arrangements by land and sea, administer the comfort and consolation to our prisoners in a cruel captivity, protect the health and life of our Commander in Chief, grant us victory over our enemies, establish peace in all our borders and give happiness to all our Inhabitants - That he would prosper the labor of the husbandman, making the earth yeild[sic] its increase in abundance and give a proper season for the ingathering of the fruits thereof; That he would grant success to all engaged in lawful trade and commerce and take under his Guardianship all Schools and Seminaries of Learning and make them nurseries of virtues & piety, that he would incline the hearts of all men to peace and fill them with Universal charity and benevolence, and that the religion of our divine redeemer with all its benign influences may cover the Earth as the waters cover the seas.
Done by the United States in Congress Assembled this nineteenth day of March in the Year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred and eighty one and in the sixth year of our Independence.
[illegible signature] John Hanson. [illegible]
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