Highlights here suggest where most everyone was taught back in the day as the original one, was based up in New England with the Pilgrims and Wampanoag in 1621, a 3-day event by the way.
The article went on to say these Native traditions - complete with merrymaking and feasting were not unique to American as in England and throughout Europe they often occurred after a successful crop at harvest time.
This piece also points out evidence this tradition was not widely celebrated between 1622 and 1820 here in America.
In fact, it was not until 1863 when Sarah Josepha Hale petitioned Abraham Lincoln that a national thanksgiving might serve to unite a war-torn country where two national days being ultimately declared that year this tradition got a restart. The 1st on August 6th celebrating the Battle of Gettysburg and another declared annually for the last Thursday in November.
Even then Thanksgiving did not become permanent as the 4th Thursday in November until 1941. Congress set it a full two years after FDR lengthened the Christmas shopping season for the next-to-the-last-Thursday in November 1939.
My main take away was how Rush tried to inspire his listening audience with a feel good story of George Washington. Most people including me did not know much about how Thanksgiving evolved in America. That was until today if you tuned in to RL’s show.
It is clear that Washington wanted the citizens to be grateful and God was with them.
How much hard work and fighting was still very much worth it.
To finally get our civil and religious freedom that is.
Yet fast forwarding to today Rush displayed personal frustration too.
Instead of TV, radio, and newspapers inspiring us with fun uplifting stories like how grateful and faithful our 1st President was after decades of bloodshed and despair, too much time is now spent to frown on or disapproving our pandemic behavior above all else.