The very first presidential proclamation was issued by President George Washington in the fall of 1789, during his first year in office. It followed a request from a joint committee of Congress asking that Washington recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. On October 3, Washington did just that--he proclaimed Thursday, November 26th of that year a national day of thanksgiving. Four days later, the "Gazette of the United States" published the full text of his proclamation. Sharing Washington's proclamation, as printed in the "Gazette of the United States" (featured in this article), with students (being sure to point out the use of the long 's' that looks like an 'f') may allow them to discover the origins of Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday, and also consider the purpose of presidential proclamations. This article suggests activities, tools, and resources to further engage students in the discussion.