We’re counting down to Thanksgiving at our office. Today we’re looking at Arkansas’ very first Thanksgiving proclamation.

In October of 1847, Arkansas’ third governor, Gov. Thomas Drew, issued Arkansas very Thanksgiving proclamation. The proclamation set aside Thursday, December 8, 1847, as a day of thanksgiving. In it, Gov. Drew highlighted the many blessings Arkansas had enjoyed—including Arkansas’ great people, abundant crops, prosperity, and good health. He concluded by calling on Arkansans to thank God for these blessings.

You can read Gov. Drew’s entire Thanksgiving proclamation here.

Gov. Drew’s proclamation is significant, because it came at a time when Thanksgiving was not formally recognized by Congress or the President. Instead, different states took the initiative to set aside a day for giving thanks. Arkansas was among them.

If you have never donated to Family Council or the Education Alliance, now is a great time to do so. Your financial support will make Arkansas a better place to live, work, and raise a family. It will promote and strengthen home schooling. It will help fight abortion and make Arkansas a more pro-life state. Click here to send a generous, tax-deductible donation today.