Freemasonry and Thanksgiving: George Washington, Elias Boudinot and the 1789 Day of Thanks
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Freemasonry did not invent Thanksgiving. But the history of the United States’ first national Thanksgiving under the new Constitution intersects with one of America’s best-documented Freemasons: George Washington.
In 1789, Representative Elias Boudinot introduced the congressional resolution that led to a request for a national day of thanksgiving. Washington then issued his October 3 proclamation naming Thursday, November 26, 1789, as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer.
What happened in Congress in 1789?
Mount Vernon’s historical account explains that Elias Boudinot of New Jersey presented a resolution asking Congress to request a thanksgiving observance from President Washington. Congress agreed and sent the request to the president.
The National Archives records the same sequence: the first Federal Congress passed a resolution in late September 1789, and Washington issued the proclamation a few days later.
What did George Washington proclaim?
On October 3, 1789, Washington designated Thursday, November 26 as a national day of thanks. The National Archives describes it as the first Thanksgiving celebrated under the new Constitution.
The proclamation emphasized gratitude, national peace, constitutional government, civil and religious liberty, and the responsibilities of public and private life.
Where does Freemasonry enter the story?
George Washington’s Masonic membership is independently well documented. That makes the 1789 Thanksgiving proclamation part of the public life of a famous Freemason—but it does not mean the proclamation was a Masonic act or that Freemasonry created Thanksgiving.
That distinction is important. Historical overlap is real; claims of hidden institutional causation require separate evidence.
For Washington’s lodge record, see Was George Washington a Freemason?.
Was Elias Boudinot the person who created Thanksgiving?
No single person “created” Thanksgiving. Colonial and state thanksgiving observances existed before 1789. Boudinot’s importance in this episode is that he introduced the congressional resolution that helped produce the national observance under the new federal Constitution.
Did Freemasons invent Thanksgiving?
No. That claim goes beyond the evidence. The historically supportable connection is narrower:
- Elias Boudinot presented the 1789 congressional resolution.
- Congress asked Washington to recommend a national day of thanksgiving.
- Washington—who was a documented Freemason—issued the proclamation.
That is interesting enough without turning it into a conspiracy or ownership claim.
Why does Thanksgiving resonate with Masonic themes?
Individual lodges often use the Thanksgiving season for fellowship, charitable service and reflection on gratitude. Those are local Masonic practices, not evidence that Thanksgiving is an official universal Masonic holiday.
Modern lodge calendars can include Thanksgiving dinners, food drives or community service because gratitude and relief fit naturally with Masonic values of fellowship and charity.
FAQ
Was George Washington a Freemason when he issued the Thanksgiving proclamation?
Yes. Washington had been a Freemason for decades by 1789.
When was Washington’s Thanksgiving proclamation issued?
October 3, 1789.
What date did Washington choose for Thanksgiving?
Thursday, November 26, 1789.
Did Washington make Thanksgiving a permanent annual federal holiday?
No. Presidents issued proclamations at different times afterward. Annual national observance became established later, especially after Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation.
Sources
- George Washington’s Mount Vernon — Thanksgiving
- National Archives — Congress Establishes Thanksgiving
- National Archives — Thanksgiving
For more verified membership history, read our Famous Freemasons guide. You can also browse our Masonic coin collection for symbolic keepsakes.