Welcome to the American Story.

Story about all the things that make America the country we know and love.

The country we give thanks for every day,

and especially on the fourth Thursday of every

November. This year on this occasion I hope you will join me in praying for our

country and its great cause of liberty. This is Chris Flannery with the

Claremont Institute. Wishing you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving. I call

this one, to give or not to give thanks.

By September 25, 1789,

the US House of Representatives

had only been operating for about six months under a new Constitution.

They were meeting in New York, as they would continue to do until the government was moved

to Philadelphia the following year, and then to what became Washington DC.

Elias Boudinau, representative from New Jersey, introduced a resolution that a joint committee of both houses be directed to wait upon the President of the United States

to request that he would 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 offering them an opportunity peaceably to establish a constitution of government for their safety and happiness.

Not everyone thought this Thanksgiving business was a good idea.

A Danish Burke of South Carolina did not like this mimicking of European customs,

where they made a mere mockery of

South Carolina, thought the house had no business to interfere in a matter which did not

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