Prayer Proclamations, 1866 - 1880

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 between 1866 and 1880:

1866 - Andrew Johnson Proclamation on October 8, 1866. A “day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God” set apart on November 29, 1866.40 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer.
 
1867 - Andrew Johnson Proclamation on October 26, 1867. A “day of national thanksgiving and praise to the Almighty Ruler of Nations” set apart on November 28, 1867.41 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer. President Johnson noted that proclaiming a national day of praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God was “[i]n conformity with a recent custom that may now be regarded as established on national consent and approval[.]”

1868 - Andrew Johnson Proclamation on October 12, 1868. A “day for public praise, thanksgiving, and prayer to the Almighty Creator and Divine Ruler of theset apart on November 26, 1868.42 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer.

1869 - Ulysses S. Grant Proclamation on October 5, 1869. A “day of thanksgiving and of praise and of prayer to Almighty God” set apart on November 18, 1869.43 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer.

1870 - Ulysses S. Grant Proclamation on October 21, 1870. A day “to give thanks for the bounty of God during the year about to close” set apart on November 24, 1870.44 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer.

1871 - Ulysses S. Grant Proclamation on October 28, 1871. A day to “make the usual annual acknowledgments to Almighty God for the blessings He has conferred” set apart on November 30, 1871.45 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer.

1872 - Ulysses S. Grant Proclamation on October 11, 1872. A day “publicly to thank the Almighty for His mercies and His blessings” set apart on November 28, 1872.46 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer.

1873 - Ulysses S. Grant Proclamation on October 14, 1873. A day “for renewed thanksgiving and acknowledgment to the Almighty Ruler of the Universe for the unnumbered mercies which He has bestowed” set apart on November 27, 1873.47 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer.

1874 - Ulysses S. Grant Proclamation on October 27, 1874. A day for “offer[ing] thanks to Almighty God for the mercies and abundance of the year which is drawing to a close” set apart on November 26, 1874.48 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer.

1875 - Ulysses S. Grant Proclamation on October 27, 1875. A day to “offer to Almighty God [ ] acknowledgments and thanks for all His mercies and [ ] humble prayers for a continuance of His divine favor” set apart on November 25, 1875.49 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer.

1876 - Ulysses S. Grant Proclamation on June 26, 1876. A day for “public religious and devout thanksgiving to Almighty God” and for “invoke[ing] a continuance of His favor and of His protection” set apart on July 4, 1876.50 The 100th anniversary of the independence of the United States motivated the call to prayer.

1876 - Ulysses S. Grant Proclamation on October 26, 1876. A day to offer “thanks and prayers to Almighty God” set apart on November 30, 1876.51 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer.

1877 - Rutherford B. Hayes Proclamation on October 29, 1877. A day of “national thanksgiving and prayer” set apart on November 29, 1877.52 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer.

1878 - Rutherford B. Hayes Proclamation on October 20, 1878. A day of “national thanksgiving and prayer” set apart on November 28, 1878.53 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer.

1879 - Rutherford B. Hayes on November 3, 1879. A day of “national thanksgiving and prayer” set apart on November 27, 1879.54 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer.

1880 - Rutherford B. Hayes Proclamation on November 1, 1880. A day for “mak[ing] . . . acknowledgments to Almighty God for His bounties and His protection and to offer to Him prayers for their continuance” set apart on November 25, 1880.55 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