How November Became Native American Heritage Month | Terrebonne Parish Library System

November is a time known for celebrating the year’s harvest or reflecting on our year’s accomplishments and being thankful for our successes and learning experiences. The holiday was sporadically observed since George Washington’s presidency, but it was not considered an official or regularly observed holiday until 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln declared the fourth Thursday in November to be the annual day of giving thanks. Later, in 1939 President FDR issued a presidential proclamation that moved the Thanksgiving holiday to the second-to-last Thursday of the month. This was in response to the holiday falling on the last day of the month that year which would result in a shortened Christmas shopping season. In order to keep the recovering economy flowing FDR changed the holiday, but for two years 16 states refused to accept the change, citing that the holiday is the last Thursday of the month. During this time the country celebrated two Thanksgiving holidays, one on the second-to-last Thursday and one on the last Thursday of the month. To clear up confusion in 1941 congress set a fixed date for the holiday making it the fourth Thursday of the month, which would take into account the years that November consists of five weeks. This holiday stems from the colonists who landed at Plymouth Rock, modern day Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620.

A group of colonists, commonly known as the pilgrims, began setting up a village in this area. These people spent 66 days crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a small ship called the Mayflower to seek out a new home where they can freely practice their faith. Others were drawn to the area for the prospect of land ownership in the new world.