"A Grateful Nation"...American Independence Museum Program November 12, 2011

Did you know that Thanksgiving Day, celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November, was declared an annual national holiday by President Lincoln in 1863 during the Civil War? Abraham Lincoln finally responded to petitioner Sarah Josepha Hale, a Newport,  NH native, who lobbied a total of 5 presidents over a 17 year period to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday.

Until that time, "days of thanksgiving" were randomly held by the early settlers of this country like the Pilgrims and the colonists of Virginia who brought the tradition from Europe, to celebrate something to be especially thankful for, such as the end of a drought, a military victory or a bountiful harvest. George Washington declared a Thanksgiving Day in 1789 and 1795, followed by John Adams proclaiming similar thanksgiving days in 1798 and 1799. State governors proclaimed "days of thanksgiving" on a state by state basis, selecting random days throughout the year.

New Hampshire Governor John Taylor Gilman issued Thanksgiving Proclamations during his tenure as 7th and 12th NH governor. A resident of Exeter, NH, John Taylor Gilman's home at One Governor's Lane is now part of the American Independence Museum campus, where his 1804 Thanksgiving
Proclamation For A Public Thanksgiving will be on display during the Saturday November 12th "A Grateful Nation" program sponsored by the museum.

"A Grateful Nation" program will feature a museum tour that includes lunch at either 11am or 1pm in the Folsom Tavern, also located on the museum campus, with hearty soups, When Pigs Fly bread and apple cider. Volunteer Carol Welsh will share the secrets of creating a corn husk doll with the younger visitors.

Registration for this event is required. Admission is $15 per person and $12 for museum members. To reserve your space call 603-772-2622 and pay by credit card or visit www.independencemuseum.org to learn more about the program and pay using PayPal.

In keeping with the theme of "A Grateful Nation," the museum will be
collecting items for our overseas troops by hosting the Pease Greeters at the Folsom Tavern that day. Visit the museum's Calendar Page and click "More Details" to learn about specific needs for the men and women serving our country.

"A Grateful Nation" is presented by the American Independence Museum,
located at One Governor's Lane in Exeter, NH. Occupying two historic buildings, the Ladd-Gilman House and Folsom Tavern on the same campus, it is the mission of American Independence Museum to connect America's Revolutionary past with the present. The museum's regular tour hours are Wednesday through Saturday 10am to 4pm ending on October 29th, but lectures, programs and school tours are offered throughout the winter and spring.

John McCarthy
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