Elected U.S. president amid the depths of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt became known for bucking historical norms to expand the powers of the central government and provide a lifeline to struggling Americans. He wasn’t against challenging societal norms, either, as in the case of his seemingly innocuous yet ultimately controversial decision to switch Thanksgiving’s traditional observance date in 1939.
When was Thanksgiving traditionally held?
From its colonial roots as a fall harvest festival celebrated in the Northeast, Thanksgiving spread to many of the country’s newly established states in the 19th century. The date was determined by individual governors, which resulted in festivities taking place during any of the autumn months or even as late as March.
In the mid-19th century, writer and magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale began a campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. In October 1863, President Abraham Lincoln answered the call and issued a proclamation inviting citizens to “set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving.”
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