On this episode of Newt's world, with Thanksgiving this Thursday, I wanted to talk about

the history of establishing Thanksgiving as a national holiday in the United States.

President George Washington was the first to issue a proclamation for the holiday in 1789.

However, it was Sarah Josepha Hale, the influential author and editor of Gody's

Ladies Book, who petition Congress and five different presidents to create a national annual holiday for

Thanksgiving between 1846 and 1863. After all that effort she was

finally successful in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln declared

Thanksgiving a national holiday on the last Thursday in November.

Lincoln's proclamation urged the nation to heal its wounds

and restore peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.

Here to talk about the history of Thanksgiving, I am really pleased to welcome back my

guest, Melanie Kirkpatrick. She is the author of two very important books on the subject,

Lady Editor, Sarah Josepha Hale

and the Making of the Modern American Woman,

and Thanksgiving, the holiday at the heart of the American experience. Melanie, thank you for joining me once again. It's always a delight to have you sort of educate

us and you do such interesting work.

Thank you and it's a pleasure to be back with you just a few days before Thanksgiving.

I was fascinated by the role of Sarah Josepha Hale, she apparently was a pretty significant person just in her own right beyond Thanksgiving in developing a role for women.

Indeed, I actually think Newt and excuse and authors enthusiasm, I think she's the most influential

woman in American history.

She was editor of Gotti's Ladies Book for 50 years, and as such she had the most influence of any American woman.

Gody's Ladies Book was the most popular magazine before the Civil War and she used

...