Presidential Prayer Proclamations, 1841 - 1865

Recently in the news and on this blog, there has been discussion about a federal judge's ruling that our tradition of declaring a national day of prayer is not constitutional. Such a belief overlooks the fact that the men who wrote and ratified the Constitution petitioned our first President to declare such a day. The tradition continued until our current history.

Below are the proclamations that were made after James Madison's Presidency and until 1865 (in case you were wondering):

1841 - Tyler Proclamation on April 13, 1841. A “day of fasting and prayer” set apart on May 14, 1841. Reflecting on the sudden death of newly elected President William Henry Harrison motivated the call to prayer.


1860 - James Buchanan Proclamation on December 14, 1860. A “day . . . for Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer” set apart on January 4, 1861. Reflecting on the “present distracted and dangerous condition” of the country motivated the call to humiliation and prayer.


1861 - Abraham Lincoln Proclamation on August 12, 1861. A “day of humiliation, prayer, and fasting” set apart on “the last Thursday in September next[.]” Reflecting on the outbreak of civil war motivated the call to prayer. Abraham Lincoln Proclamation on March 30, 1863. A “day of national humiliation, fasting, and prayer” set apart on April 30, 1863. Reflecting on the destruction caused by civil war motivated the call to prayer.


1862 - Abraham Lincoln Proclamation on April 10, 1862. A day to “render thanks to our Heavenly Father” for the victories won by the Union forces and to “implore spiritual consolation on behalf of all who have been brought into affliction” by the civil war. The day was set apart for the “next weekly assemblages in [the people’s] accustomed places of public worship[.]”


1863 - Abraham Lincoln Proclamation on July 15, 1863. A “day for national thanksgiving, praise, and prayer” set apart on August 6, 1863. Reflecting on the civil war and recent victories won by Union forces motivated the call to prayer.


1863 - Abraham Lincoln Proclamation on October 3, 1863. A “day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens” set apart on “the last Thursday of November next[.]” Reflecting on the providence of Almighty God at the close of the year motivated the call to prayer.


1864 - Abraham Lincoln Proclamation on July 7, 1864. A “day of national humiliation and prayer” set apart on “the first Thursday of August next[.]” Reflecting on the ending of civil war motivated the call to prayer.


1864 - Abraham Lincoln Proclamation on October 20, 1864. A “day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God” set apart on “the last Thursday in November next[.]”37 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer


1864 - Andrew Johnson Proclamation on April 29, 1865. A “day for special humiliation and prayer” originally set apart for May 25, 1865 postponed until June 1, 1865.38 The original proclamation setting apart May 25 conflicted with Easter, a day “sacred to large numbers of Christians as one of rejoicing for the ascension of the Savior[.]”


1865 - Andrew Johnson Proclamation on April 25, 1865. A “day of humiliation and mourning” and “humbling ourselves before Almighty God” set apart on May 25, 1865. Reflecting on the assassination of Abraham Lincoln motivated the call to prayer.


1865 - Andrew Johnson Proclamation on October 28, 1865. A “day of national thanksgiving to the Creator of the Universe” and “confession of our national sins against His infinite goodness” set apart on “the first Thursday of December next[.]”39 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer. 

The quotes above and the citations for them can be found in the ACLJ's amicus brief linked from this page:

ACLJ: Court Decision Declaring National Day of Prayer Unconstitutional 'Flawed' - Case Could End Up At Supreme Court