With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Origins of the Thanksgiving Holiday [video 2 min 3 sec]

Thanksgiving, a day of feasting, football and floats. It's also a day that wouldn't exsist if not for the author of 'Mary Had A Little Lamb.' Sarah Josepha Hale was a 19th century writer who believed that America needed an annual holiday for all Americans to collectively give thanks.
Read entire article at The History Channel