‘In times of great adversity’: 7 Thanksgiving proclamations issued during national crises
1934
During the Great Depression, as the United States saw millions out of work and no apparent end in sight, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued a Thanksgiving proclamation.
Despite the pervasive economic troubles, the proclamation stated that it was “fitting that we should again observe this custom” of giving “thanks to Almighty God for the blessings of life.”
“During the past year we have been given courage and fortitude to meet the problems which have confronted us in our national life,” continued the proclamation.
“Our sense of social justice has deepened. We have been given vision to make new provisions for human welfare and happiness, and in a spirit of mutual helpfulness we have cooperated to translate vision into reality.”