Reagan's Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1986

President Ronald Reagan was a master communicator. In his 1986 Thanksgiving Proclamation, he reminded Americans of the importance of recognizing God's hand on the founding of our nation and of "offering thanksgiving" to Him. In making these two points, Reagan often referenced our first president, George Washington, who prayed to God, recognized His hand in the colonies' success in the Revolutionary War, and proclaimed days of thanksgiving so the troops and, later, the citizens could thank God for his many blessings. Reagan also referred to "America the Beautiful," which is both a patriotic song and a prayer for God's blessing upon this land. He concludes by encouraging all Americans to pray and show God gratitude on Thanksgiving Day.

Transcript

Ronald Reagan Thanksgiving Proclamation - 1986

Hello, and welcome to another edition of America’s Godly Heritage. In recognition of Thanksgiving, we are going to revisit beloved President Ronald Reagan’s Thanksgiving Proclamation from 1986.

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All right, back to Reagan. I am going to read to you President Reagan’s Thanksgiving Proclamation, which was issued on October 13, 1986. As I read, notice how often Reagan refers to another beloved president, George Washington. 

So, here we go:

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Perhaps no custom reveals our character as a Nation so clearly as our celebration of Thanksgiving Day. Rooted deeply in our Judeo-Christian heritage, the practice of offering thanksgiving underscores our unshakeable belief in God as the foundation of our Nation and our firm reliance upon Him from Whom all blessings flow. Both as individuals and as a people, we join with the Psalmist in song and praise: "Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good" [Psalm 107:1].

One of the most inspiring portrayals of American history is that of George Washington on his knees in the snow at Valley Forge. That moving image personifies and testifies to our Founders' dependence upon Divine Providence during the darkest hours of our Revolutionary struggle. It was then—when our mettle as a Nation was tested most severely—that the Sovereign and Judge of nations heard our plea and came to our assistance in the form of aid from France. Thereupon General Washington immediately called for a special day of thanksgiving among his troops.

Eleven years later, President Washington, at the request of the Congress, first proclaimed November 26, 1789, as Thanksgiving Day. In his Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, President Washington exhorted the people of the United States to observe "a day of public thanksgiving and prayer" so that they might acknowledge "with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness." Washington also reminded us that "it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor."

Today let us take heart from the noble example of our first President. Let us pause from our many activities to give thanks to Almighty God for our bountiful harvests and abundant freedoms. Let us call upon Him for continued guidance and assistance in all our endeavors. And let us ever be mindful of the faith and spiritual values that have made our Nation great and that alone can keep us great. With joy and gratitude in our hearts, let us sing those stirring stanzas:

O beautiful for spacious skies,
 
 For amber waves of grain,
 
 For purple mountain majesties 

Above the fruited plain! 

America! America!
 
 God shed His grace on thee.

Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, in the spirit of George Washington and the Founders, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 27, 1986, as a National Day of Thanksgiving, and I call upon every citizen of this great Nation to gather together in homes and places of worship on that day of thanks to affirm by their prayers and their gratitude the many blessings bestowed upon this land and its people.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eleventh.

 
 RONALD REAGAN

Now, a few comments about Reagan’s Thanksgiving Proclamation. 

First of all, Reagan highlights God’s hand upon the founding of the United States. He said that as a nation, we are “Rooted deeply in our Judeo-Christian heritage” and that we have an “unshakeable belief in God as the foundation of our nation” and a “firm reliance upon Him from Whom all blessings flow.”

Reagan then offers the moving and inspiring example of “George Washington on his knees in the snow at Valley Forge.” Here you can see this depicted in Arnold Friberg’s famous painting “The Prayer at Valley Forge.” Reagan is calling to mind the seminal season of the Revolutionary War where over 12,000 soldiers (and 400 women and children camp followers) suffered through the winter of 1777 – 1778 at Valley Forge. They were seriously short of essential supplies and food. Deadly diseases like typhoid spread through the camp, killing about 1/6 of the population. In addition, the troops were not trained to take on one of the best fighting forces in the world. In short, it was a frigid mess.

So, Washington took his problems and concerns to the Lord. As Reagan’s proclamation stated, quote “That moving image personifies and testifies to our Founders' dependence upon Divine Providence during the darkest hours of our Revolutionary struggle” end quote. According to contemporary historian Mason Locke Weems in his biography The Life of George Washington (1808), Washington could often be found praying. In particular, as one Isaac Potts was passing through the woods, he caught sight of quote “the commander in chief of the American armies on his knees at prayer” end quote.

Strengthened and given guidance and wisdom by his heavenly Father, Washington worked hard to address the supply issues. He had a hospital built nearby to tend to the sick. He had the men build 1,500 log huts and two miles of fortifications - what essentially became the fourth largest city in the colonies at the time. And, he recruited Prussian officer Baron von Steuben to train the troops and to teach them to fight as a unified army. 

Now back to Reagan. In his Thanksgiving Proclamation he declared, quote “It was then—when our mettle as a Nation was tested most severely—that the Sovereign and Judge of nations heard our plea and came to our assistance in the form of aid from France” end quote. In May 1778, word arrived that the long-sought after Treaty of Alliance with France had finally been signed. 

With the changes wrought at Valley Forge and the new alliance with France, the dynamic of the war had shifted. The Americans now had a fighting chance to win the war.

The second main point of Regan’s proclamation is that it focuses on the importance of “offering thanksgiving.”

He said, after hearing of the alliance with France, “Thereupon General Washington immediately called for a special day of thanksgiving among his troops.” Indeed, in his General Orders on May 5, 1778, Washington wrote: “It having pleased the Almighty ruler of the Universe propitiously to defend the Cause of the United American-States and finally by raising us up a powerful Friend among the Princes of the Earth to establish our liberty and Independence upon lasting foundations, it becomes us to set apart a day for gratefully acknowledging the divine Goodness & celebrating the important Event which we owe to his benign Interposition.” 

But this wasn’t the end of Washington’s thankfulness to God. As Reagan reminds us:  “Eleven years later, President Washington, at the request of the Congress, first proclaimed November 26, 1789, as Thanksgiving Day. In his Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, President Washington exhorted the people of the United States to observe ‘a day of public thanksgiving and prayer’ so that they might acknowledge ‘with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.’ Washington also reminded us that ‘it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.’”

BTW – You can learn more about Washington’s Thanksgiving Declaration of 1789 in a previous edition of America’s Godly Heritage on YouTube, Buzzsprout, and other podcast sites.

Reagan then builds on what Washington encouraged Americans to be thankful for. He said, “Today let us take heart from the noble example of our first President. Let us pause from our many activities to give thanks to Almighty God for our bountiful harvests and abundant freedoms. Let us call upon Him for continued guidance and assistance in all our endeavors. And let us ever be mindful of the faith and spiritual values that have made our Nation great and that alone can keep us great. With joy and gratitude in our hearts, let us sing those stirring stanzas:

O beautiful for spacious skies,
 
 For amber waves of grain,
 
 For purple mountain majesties 

Above the fruited plain! 

America! America!
 
 God shed His grace on thee.

These words are some of the lyrics to the poem “Pike’s Peak,” which then became the song “America the Beautiful.” It was written on July 22, 1893, by Katharine Lee Bates. She had taken a train trip to Colorado Springs, CO, to teach at Colorado College. When she reached the summit of Pikes Peak and gazed upon the stunning view, the words, which encompassed much of what she saw as she crossed the country, just came to her. "America the Beautiful" remains a favorite patriotic song, and although it is known for its descriptions of our nation's varied landscape, it is also a prayer - a call for unity in our diversity and for God's blessing on our great nation.

President Reagan concludes by proclaiming a National Day of Thanksgiving and calling upon “every citizen of this great Nation to gather together in homes and places of worship on that day of thanks to affirm by their prayers and their gratitude the many blessings bestowed upon this land and its people.”

That is what Thanksgiving is all about – being thankful to God. So, once everyone has arrived, except Aunt Mabel, who is always late, and before we sit down to devour our turkeys with all the fixin’s, let us remember to pray and be thankful for the many blessings God has bestowed upon us.

Thank you for listening to this edition of America’s Godly Heritage. We wish you and your loved ones a happy and blessed Thanksgiving. And, of course, we hope you have a great day. Bye!

Resources:

“General Orders, 5 May 1778,” Founders Online, National Archives, 

https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-15-02-0039. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 15, May–June 1778, ed. Edward G. Lengel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2006, pp. 38–41.] Accessed 25 Nov 2025

Ronald Reagan, Proclamation 5551—Thanksgiving Day, 1986 Online by Gerhard 

Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project             https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/254029. Accessed 18 Nov 2025.

Washington, George. “Thanksgiving Proclamation, 3 October 1789,” Founders Online, 

National Archives, 3 Oct 1789, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/

            Washington/05-04-02-0091. Accessed 7 Dec 2021.