From the Heritage Foundation, I'm Tim Desher, and this is Heritage Explains.

Rush Limbaugh always inspired me to see Thanksgiving as more than just an opportunity to eat good food,

watch football, spend time with family, and go around the table to say what we're thankful for.

Now, of course, these are all great things.

But every year, he challenged us to see Thanksgiving as an opportunity to thank God for the greatness of this nation. We are blessed indeed to be citizens of the United

States of America. Rush would read President George Washington's Thanksgiving proclamation penned in 1789 every year.

Washington declared, as you'll soon hear in his own words,

the necessity for such a day springing from God's care of Americans prior to the revolution, assistance

to them in achieving independence, and help in establishing the constitutional government.

Now, since Rush is not with us this year to read it, we wanted to carry on his tradition

and do it here on Explains. We miss you, Rush,

but we also wanted to thank you for the legacy of gratitude you've left us for this great nation.

So let's get into it. By the President of the United States of America, a proclamation.

Whereas 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.

And whereas both houses of Congress have by their joint committee

requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public Thanksgiving and

prayer to be observed by acknowledging 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.

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the people of these states to the service of

that great and glorious being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is,

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