Pennsylvania became the first state to move toward abolishing slavery when it passed the Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery on March 1, 1780. The act outlawed the importation of enslaved people and freed those who were carried into the state by new residents. Overall, it extended to enslaved newborns the rights of indentured servants and took steps to eliminate enslavement for life. The State #Archives preserves this document. #OnThisDay- An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery - March 1, 1780
1780, November 5 - Fraudulently claiming to act under orders from Congress, Augustus Martine de LaBalme's and his troops plunder and destroy Miami Town, an early name for the Fort Wayne area. Little Turtle's forces, encouraged by the French, retaliate by attacking his camp at night, annihilating their enemies. Copied from Millennium milestones in Fort Wayne in the archives of
The News-Sentinel newspaper.
On this day in history, November 5, 1780, a Revolutionary War battle known as De la Balme's Defeat or De la Balme's Massacre takes place when retired French cavalry officer Augustin de la Balme is killed near present day Fort Wayne, Indiana in a battle with Miami Indians. The officer had been appointed in 1777 as the Continental Army's Inspector of Cavalry, but resigned this position due to his dislike for Polish General Casimir Pulaski, the Commander of the United States Cavalry.
In 1780, De la Balme left on a voyage down the Ohio River on a mission to capture the British Fort Detroit. Historians are uncertain whether he undertook this mission on his own or if he was acting on secret orders from General George Washington. De la Balme gathered Canadian colonists who had been living under British rule along the way in Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes (in what is now Indiana).
De la Balme's men moved north toward Fort Detroit and when they arrived in Kekionga (modern day Fort Wayne, Indiana), they found an unoccupied British and Indian trading post, the British and their Miami Indian allies having left the post, apparently on a hunting mission. De la Balme occupied the post and began to raid other British posts in the area. On the 5th, De la Balme set out for a post along the Eel River.
In the meantime, a group of Miami hunters returned to Kekionga, killed the 20 men De la Balme had left there and spread the word among the local Indians. Chief Little Turtle, who lived on the Eel River nearby, attacked De la Balme's party before he could reach the trading post. de la Balme's men entrenched themselves along the river, but were eventually overcome. De la Balme and most of his men were killed, with only a few escaping to tell the tale.
Chief Little Turtle would go on to become a successful war chief against the Americans in the Northwest Indian Wars of the 1790s and, in spite of De la Balme's failure, the British would post a group of Rangers at Kekionga to protect it from further attack. Fort Detroit would remain in British possession until the signing of the Jay Treaty in 1794.
"On November 5, 1780, a Revolutionary War battle known as De la Balme's Defeat or De la Balme's Massacre takes place when retired French cavalry officer Augustin de la Balme is killed near present day Fort Wayne, Indiana in a battle with Miami Indians. The officer had been appointed in 1777 as the Continental Army's Inspector of Cavalry, but resigned this position due to his dislike for Polish General Casimir Pulaski, the Commander of the United States Cavalry.
In 1780, De la Balme left on a voyage down the Ohio River on a mission to capture the British Fort Detroit. Historians are uncertain whether he undertook this mission on his own or if he was acting on secret orders from General George Washington. De la Balme gathered Canadian colonists who had been living under British rule along the way in Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes (in what is now Indiana).
De la Balme's men moved north toward Fort Detroit and when they arrived in Kekionga (modern day Fort Wayne, Indiana), they found an unoccupied British and Indian trading post, the British and their Miami Indian allies having left the post, apparently on a hunting mission. De la Balme occupied the post and began to raid other British posts in the area. On the 5th, De la Balme set out for a post along the Eel River.
In the meantime, a group of Miami hunters returned to Kekionga, killed the 20 men De la Balme had left there and spread the word among the local Indians. Chief Little Turtle, who lived on the Eel River nearby, attacked De la Balme's party before he could reach the trading post. de la Balme's men entrenched themselves along the river, but were eventually overcome. De la Balme and most of his men were killed, with only a few escaping to tell the tale.
Chief Little Turtle would go on to become a successful war chief against the Americans in the Northwest Indian Wars of the 1790s and, in spite of De la Balme's failure, the British would post a group of Rangers at Kekionga to protect it from further attack. Fort Detroit would remain in British possession until the signing of the Jay Treaty in 1794."
1781 - Britain’s defeat at the Battle of Yorktown marked the conclusion of the American Revolution and the beginning of new challenges for a new nation.
1781, October 17 - British General Charles Cornwallis writes letter to George Washington conceding defeat at Yorktown, Virginia. Surrender ceremony was on October 19, 1781.
On this day in 1782, after six years and three committees, the now-familiar Great Seal was adopted by Congress.
On July 4, 1776, Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson to design a great seal for the United States. The committee had the difficult task of finding a way to express, in a few words and images, the principles of the new nation they were creating. Artists such as Philadelphians Pierre Eugène Du Simitière and Francis Hopkinson as well as English artist William Barton created designs for the first, second and third committees, formed between July 1776 to March 1782 that were not accepted by Congress. However, some elements of these designs — including the motto E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One) and image of an all-seeing eye — would later be part of the final Great Seal, adopted by Congress on June 20, 1782.
Image 1: E Pluribus Unum pencil sketch by Pierre Du Simitière,1776; Design for the great seal, obverse and reverse by Francis Hopkinson, 1780, Library of Congress.
Image 2: Design for the great seal, obverse and reverse by William Barton, 1782; Design for the Great Seal, obverse and reverse by Charles Thomson, 1782
Today is Purple Heart Day. On this day 240 years ago, in 1782, , General George Washington wrote down the concept for a “Badge of Military Merit," which we know today as the Purple Heart. It is the oldest military award in the U.S.
"...whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings over the left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth, or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding." The Library's collection of Washington's papers contains this document, which you can see below written in his own hand. The document has been transcribed:George Washington, August 7, 1782, General Orders
1783
1783, April 3 - Map of the United States, April 3, 1783.
Record Group 76: Records of Boundary and Claims Commissions and Arbitrations
Series: Maps Related to the Northeastern Boundary of the United States
Image description: Map of the U.S. as of 1783, with states, geographical features, and Native American tribal territories labeled. Everything west of the Mississippi is just “Louisiana,” and some of the spellings are a bit off, like “Pensilvania.”
Image description: Zoomed-in portion of the map, showing how the cartographers hadn’t quite figured out the shape of Michigan yet.
Image description: Zoomed-in portion of the map, showing the Carolinas, Georgia reaching all the way to the Mississippi River, and East Florida/West Florida, which is not yet part of the U.S. [ see our Maps page ]
1783, April 15 - the Revolutionary War officially ended.
1783, August 6 - “An Accurate Map of the United States of America, with Part of the Surrounding Provinces agreeable to the Treaty of Peace of 1783”
“An Accurate Map of the United States of America, with Part of the Surrounding Provinces agreeable to the Treaty of Peace of 1783,” published August 6, 1783.
Record Group 76: Records of Boundary and Claims Commissions and Arbitrations
Series: Maps Related to the Northeastern Boundary of the United States
Image description: A map of the U.S. as of 1783, with states, towns, waterways, and tribal lands labeled. Judging by the shape of Michigan, the map is not entirely accurate.
Image description: Zoomed-in portion of the map centered on Philadelphia, showing parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. All of the little beaches and islands along the eastern shore of New Jersey are labeled.
1783, September 3 - the Treaty of Paris when Prince George the Third King of Great Britain signed document to recognize the United States of America see actual document on Fold3. See a map created by John Wallis in 1783 depicting the boundaries of the United States established by the Treaty of Paris posted December 15, 2014 by Campaign 1776 on Facebook. Read more on unanimous vote by Congress on Ratification of the Treaty of Paris January 14, 1784 officially ending the American Revolution on Todays Document from the The National Archives.
The Treaty of Paris, between the American colonies and Great Britain, ended the American Revolution and formally recognized the United States as an independent nation. (Page 1 and signature page shown.) September 3, 1783.
Record Group 11: General Records of the United States Government
Series: Perfected Treaties
Transcription:
Duplicate. Original Definitive Treaty
3 Sept. 1783
In the Name of the most Holy & undivided Trinity.
It having pleased the Divine Providence to dispose the Hearts of the most Serene and most Potent Prince George the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Duke of Brunswick and Lunebourg, Arch- Treasurer and Prince Elector of the Holy Roman Empire etc.. and of the United States of America, to forget all past Misunderstandings and Differences that have unhappily interrupted the good Correspondence and Friendship which they mutually wish to restore; and to establish such a beneficial and satisfactory Intercourse between the two countries upon the ground of reciprocal Advantages and mutual Convenience as may promote and secure to both perpetual Peace and Harmony;
[page 2]
without Difficulty and without requiring any Compensation.
Article 10th:
The solemn Ratifications of the present Treaty expedited in good & due Form shall be exchanged between the contracting Parties in the Space of Six Months or sooner if possible to be computed from the Day of the Signature of the present Treaty. In witness whereof we the undersigned their Ministers Plenipotentiary have in their Name and in Virtue of our Full Powers, signed with our Hands the present Definitive Treaty, and caused the Seals of our Arms to be affixed thereto.
Done at Paris, this third day of September in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three.
1784, January 14 - the Continental Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris, officially establishing the United States as an independent and sovereign nation. The treaty was signed in Paris, France on September 3, 1783 and required Congress to return the ratified document to England within six months. Today in History - January 14 Treaty of Paris Ratified by The Library of Congress.
#OTD in 1784, the legislature of Virginia delivered a deed of cession to the United States that included the area that would become the Northwest Territory. One of the conditions of the land cession was that George Rogers Clark and his men would receive title to 150,000 acres of land in a location of their choosing as promised by the Virginia legislature in 1781 for their service during the American Revolutionary War. Known as “Clark’s Grant,” the area Clark chose included all of present-day Clark County and parts of surrounding counties. However, this area and the entire Ohio River Valley was already home to Shawnee, Myaamia, Wea, Lenape and other nations who lived in the region long before colonial contact. Learn about how different indigenous groups resisted removal over the following decades: How Did Six Different Native Nations Try to Avoid Removal?. Or learn more about George Rogers Clark and Shawnee leader Tenskwatawa with the Talking Hoosier History podcast: Talking Hoosier History
(Easy to read transcripts are also posted at the podcast link.)
1784, April 23 - the Ordinance of 1784, primarily written by Thomas Jefferson, established government for the Northwest Territory and a system for the area to be divided into states. Indiana became a state 32 years later. Read Learn More: Indiana Territory from The Indiana Historian magazine on IN.gov. Map posted April 23, 2017 on Indiana Bicentennial Commission on Facebookon Facebook.
1784, September 21 - the Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser published the first daily U. S. newspaper. Many independent newspapers ran before that on a weekly or monthly basis. America's first independent newspaper, the New England Courant, was published by Benjamin Franklin's older brother in 1721. By the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775, there were 37 independent newspapers to keep the colonists informed. Copied from The Nation's First Daily Newspaper Began Publication by AmericasLibrary.com. See also America’s first daily by Judy G. Russell published September 21, 2018 on her Legal Genealogist blog.
Did you know that George Washington is called the "Father of the American Mule"? He began breeding mules at Mount Vernon after he received a stud jack named Royal Gift from the King of Spain in 1785.
Mules are the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). Washington favored them for their surefootedness, stamina, and ability to tolerate cold better than donkeys and heat better than horses.
1785, April 26 - Naturalist John Audubon is born. Audubon was known for painting birds.
1785, May 23 - Benjamin Franklin introduced his latest invention: bifocals. See more of his inventions on: Ancestry.com. From May 23, 2015Ancestry.comTweet.
1785, July 8 - the U.S. dollar was chosen to replace the continental note - generating the slogan Not Worth a Continental.
1787
1787, July 13 - Northwest Territory established by the U.S. Congress.
On September 17, 1787, after almost four months of debate, thirty-nine delegates from twelve states signed the Constitution. Here at the National Archives, we celebrate the Constitution every day.
In the Rotunda of the Archives, a mural by Barry Faulkner celebrates the statesmen who signed the document. Commissioned in 1934 and completed in 1936, the mural (along with one celebrating the Declaration of Independence) is about 13 feet high by 34 feet long. Faulkner painted them in oil on canvas in his studio at Grand Central Station in New York City. They were then transported to Washington, DC.
George Washington stands at the center, and off to the right are two members of the Constitution's Committee on Style and Arrangement: Gouverneur Morris and Alexander Hamilton. Along with William Samuel Johnson, James Madison, and Rufus King, the Committee worked for four days to revise the Constitution, and Madison said that "The finish given to the style and arrangement fairly belongs to the pen of Mr. Morris."
Six weeks after the Convention, Morris wrote to George Washington, sharing his thoughts on the ratification process and encouraging Washington to serve as President, adding:
"I will add my Conviction that of all Men you are best fitted to fill that Office. Your cool steady Temper is indispensibly necessary to give a firm and manly Tone to the new Government. To constitute a well poised political Machine is the Task of us common Workmen; but to set it in Motion requires still greater Qualities. When once agoing, it will proceed a long time from the original Impulse. Time gives to primary Institutions the mighty Power of Habit and Custom, the Law both of wise Men and Fools serves as the great Commentator of human Establishments, and like other Commentators as frequently obscures as it explains the Text. No Constitution is the same on Paper and in Life."
ON THIS DAY// On July 13, 1787, while the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia, the Congress of the Confederation enacted the Northwest Ordinance. The ordinance planned for governance of the territory north and west of the Ohio River. It also asserted that freedom of religion, right to trial by jury, and public education were rights of the people. Slavery was also provisionally banned.
Out of the Northwest territory came five states and part of a sixth: Ohio (1803), Indiana (1816), Illinois (1818), Michigan (1837), Wisconsin (1848), and Minnesota (Portion east of the Mississippi river; full statehood in 1858).
To learn more about the Northwest Ordinance, visit the Indiana Historical Bureau’s Northwest Ordinance timeline: Northwest Ordinance of 1787 .
Or watch a historian examine its impact via C-SPAN: SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 Lectures in HistoryNorthwest Ordinance Professor Carlton Basmajian talked about the Northwest Ordinance, which was an act of Congress in 1787 to organize and govern the newly acquired territory from the Ohio River to the Mississippi. He described the 18th century national planning effort which divided this territory into a grid pattern and proposed a transportation network of roads and canals. He argued that this process of development was also applied to the Louisiana Purchase.
On July 13, 1787, Congress adopted the Northwest Ordinance, which governed the Northwest Territory that would eventually become Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. This map can be found in the Indiana State Library's Digital Collections: https://bit.ly/3uQrA8d#Indiana#maps#Northwest
Explore founding documents in our holdings, such as the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which chartered a government for...
Explore founding documents in our holdings, such as the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which chartered a government for the Northwest Territory, provided a framework for westward expansion, and guaranteed a bill of rights in the territory.
1787, September 17 - the U.S. Constitution is adopted by the Constitutional Convention meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with George Washington presiding over the convention.
#OnThisDay in 1787, George Washington and 38 delegates signed the Constitution at Independence Hall in Philadelphia,...
#OnThisDay in 1787, George Washington and 38 delegates signed the Constitution at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, creating a new government for the United States of America.
(Image Credits)
1. Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, by Howard Chandler Christy. 1940.
2. The Constitution of the United States. Courtesy of the National Archives.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America,” states the preamble to the US Constitution.
September 17 is recognized as Constitution Day to honor the signing of the US Constitution. On September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign this historic document. Learn more about the US Constitution and government through our public events, family activities, and online tools. https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/constitution-day
Join us for live, interactive webinars for K–12 students around Constitution Day. These virtual events are offered as a part of “Civics for All of US,” an education initiative from the National Archives that promotes civic literacy and engagement. http://ow.ly/fWZj50KIGrX!
All four pages of the US Constitution are on permanent display at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC,, along with the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights.
September 17 marks Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. On this day, we commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787, and all who have become citizens.
Constitution Day has been a national holiday since Congress enacted a resolution in 1940 empowering the President to proclaim the third Sunday in May as Constitution Day to recognize, honor, and remember American citizenship. The day was observed nationwide with special ceremonies honoring newly naturalized citizens and Americans who recently became eligible to vote. In 1942, the name was changed to “I Am an American Day.” Still, in 1952, Congress renamed the holiday to its initially proposed title, “Citizenship Day,” and moved it to September 17.
The National Archives acquired the original Constitution from the Library of Congress in December 1952, and it is now on display and open to the public in the Rotunda of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC.
The National Archives has hosted naturalization ceremonies in the Rotunda since the 1970s. The first took place on September 17, 1977, when 29 individuals were sworn in as U.S. citizens in front of the Constitution of the United States. The tradition continues this year as 25 new citizens from 24 nations will take their oaths in front of the original Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights on September 15, 2023.
The National Archives website has numerous resources related to the Constitution and its special day. Learn more on the Pieces of History blog:
On September 17, 1787, after almost four months of debate, thirty-nine delegates from twelve states signed the Constitution. Here at the National Archives, we celebrate the Constitution every day.
In the Rotunda of the Archives, a mural by Barry Faulkner celebrates the statesmen who signed the document. Commissioned in 1934 and completed in 1936, the mural (along with one celebrating the Declaration of Independence) is about 13 feet high by 34 feet long. Faulkner painted them in oil on canvas in his studio at Grand Central Station in New York City. They were then transported to Washington, DC.
George Washington stands at the center, and off to the right are two members of the Constitution's Committee on Style and Arrangement: Gouverneur Morris and Alexander Hamilton. Along with William Samuel Johnson, James Madison, and Rufus King, the Committee worked for four days to revise the Constitution, and Madison said that "The finish given to the style and arrangement fairly belongs to the pen of Mr. Morris."
Six weeks after the Convention, Morris wrote to George Washington, sharing his thoughts on the ratification process and encouraging Washington to serve as President, adding:
"I will add my Conviction that of all Men you are best fitted to fill that Office. Your cool steady Temper is indispensibly necessary to give a firm and manly Tone to the new Government. To constitute a well poised political Machine is the Task of us common Workmen; but to set it in Motion requires still greater Qualities. When once agoing, it will proceed a long time from the original Impulse. Time gives to primary Institutions the mighty Power of Habit and Custom, the Law both of wise Men and Fools serves as the great Commentator of human Establishments, and like other Commentators as frequently obscures as it explains the Text. No Constitution is the same on Paper and in Life."
Taking a Constitutional by Judy G. Russell posted on September 17, 2014 on her blog The Legal Genealogist blog. Constitution Day 2014 It is The Legal Genealogist‘s mantra: To understand the records, we have to understand the law that created them. She gives several examples how useful genealogical records result from the constitution.
One week after the Constitutional Convention approved a document on September 17, 1787, the Pennsylvania Assembly ordered 3,000 versions printed in English and 1,500 printed in German, and the documents distributed to the public. At the time, about 37 percent of Pennsylvania’s population was German in origin. The authors stated that Michael Billmeyer was hired to print the German-language version, but the translator wasn’t named. Looking at two little-known versions of our Constitution August 24, 2015 by Scott Bomboy at the National Constitution Center.
1788, January 9 - Connecticut, the "Constitution State" became the 5th state to join the Union. See Connecticut's Nicknames at the Connecticut State Library.
1788, April 7 - American Pioneers to the Northwest Territory arrive at the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum rivers, establishing Marietta, Ohio, as the first permanent American settlement of the new United States in the Northwest Territory, and opening the westward expansion of the new nation.
1789, January 7 - America’s first presidential election is held to choose state electors. Only white men who owned property were allowed to vote. As expected, George Washington won the election and was sworn into office on April 30, 1789.
1789, February 4 - the electoral college unanimously elected George Washington as the first President of the United States.
#OnThisDay in 1789, George Washington was unanimously elected president of the United States.
With 69 electoral votes, Washington won the support of each participating elector. No other president since has come into office with a universal mandate to lead.
Official Presidential Inaugural Balls have taken place since 1809 with the beginning of the administration of James Madison. However, the first ball to honor a president at the start of their administration took place exactly 230 years ago today. On May 7, 1789, George Washington attended an inaugural ball given in his honor in the temporary capital of New York City. This “bird-fan” sleeve black lace jacket, a gift from her parents, was worn by Elizabeth Keplinger Sutter at George Washington's First Inaugural Ball. The jacket was passed down through the family for four generations until Mrs. Maude Cahill of Fort Wayne, at the age of 87, donated it to the museum in 1956. We hope you enjoy a piece of our nation’s presidential past. #sociallyhistory
1789, June 1 - President George Washington signed The Oath of Office Bill into law. The simple text read, I, A.B., do solemnly swear or affirm (as the case may be) that I will support the Constitution of the United States.
1789, September 15
On September 15, 1789, the Records and Seals Act was signed into law, establishing the importance of preserving...
On September 15, 1789, the Records and Seals Act was signed into law, establishing the importance of preserving government records for future generations. This Act laid the foundation for what would become the National Archives, ensuring that the records of our nation’s history would be safeguarded and accessible.
The Records and Seals Act assigned the role of record keeper to the Secretary of State, having both foreign affairs duties and keeping the nation's records. Unfortunately, the task of recordkeeping became challenging, with documents stored in basements, attics, and even garages, leading to losses and damages. The shortcomings of these early methods highlighted the need for a dedicated institution, which led to the establishment of the National Archives in 1934.
Today, the National Archives continues the mission first set forth by the 1789 Act, utilizing state-of-the-art preservation techniques to protect our nation's documents, ensuring they remain accessible to the public both in person and online.
: Records and Seals Act, as introduced in the Senate on August 31, 1789. It was signed into law on September 15, 1789. (Records of the U.S. Senate, National Archives)
On this day in 1789 the "Judiciary Act" is passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington, establishing the Supreme Court of the United States as a tribunal made up of six justices who were to serve on the court until death or retirement.
The U.S. Supreme Court grew into the most important judicial body in the world in terms of its central place in the American political order. According to the Constitution, the size of the court is set by Congress, and the number of justices varied during the 19th century before stabilizing in 1869 at nine.
Today we remember all who have served on the bench of the U.S. Supreme Court, a number of whom are buried here at Arlington National Cemetery. Who are you remembering today?
Did you know the first U.S. Supreme Court had 6 justices, not 9? The court was organized on September 24, 1789, when President George Washington signed "An Act to establish the Judicial Courts of the United States" (Judiciary Act of 1789). The U.S. Constitution had called for a Supreme Court but left the details to Congress to decide.
A few months after the passage of the Judiciary Act, it was printed in a Pennsylvania newspaper, and the excerpt shown here gives details about the organization of the Supreme Court.
Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre, inventor of the first practical process of photography, was born near Paris on this day (Nov. 18) in 1789. There are 700+ carefully preserved daguerreotypes at the Library, including the earliest known portraits of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. Today in History - November 18
On November 20, 1789, New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights. Twelve articles were proposed in 1789; however the first and second listed did not pass. New Jersey favored the first, which would have increased its representation in Congress. Our state did not approve the second article (relative to congressional salaries) until 1992, when it became the 27th amendment.
1789, November 21 - North Carolina (also known as the Tar Heel State) became the 12th state.
In 1789, President George Washington, on behalf of Congress, issued a Thanksgiving Proclamation designating Thursday, November 26, as a national day of "public thanksgiving and prayer."
Washington wanted this day to be “observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”
Later, President Abraham Lincoln took steps toward designating it as a permanent federal holiday.
On this day 240 years ago, in 1782, , General George Washington wrote down the concept for a “Badge of Military Merit," which we know today as the Purple Heart. It is the oldest military award in the U.S. 
: Records and Seals Act, as introduced in the Senate on August 31, 1789. It was signed into law on September 15, 1789. (Records of the U.S. Senate, National Archives)