What a Turkey: When Thomas Jefferson Refused to Acknowledge Thanksgiving
The life and political vocation ofThomas Jeffersonare rich in controversy , from hisobsession with mastodonsto his interracial messages about slavery . One lesser - acknowledge Jefferson take was his disinclination to endorseThanksgiving , though he felt he had good reason . To be clean , Thanksgiving as a national holiday did n’t existduringJefferson ’s clip in office ( 1801 - 1809);Abraham Lincolnformalized it in 1863 . Prior to that , presidentsmade fiat about celebrating days of gratitude ( “ thanksgivings ” ) as well as time for fasting or prayer ....