Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, A Proclamation for a Day of Public Thanksgiving

Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts A Proclamation for a Day of Public Thanksgiving Boston, Young and Minns, State Printers, c. 1797 Engraving Sheet size: 22 1/2 x 18 1/2 in. This significant broadside announces a day of public thanksgiving and praise proclaimed by Increase Sumner (1746–1799), Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for Thursday, November 30, 1797. Printed in Boston by Young and Minns, State Printers, the document bears the Commonwealth’s seal at the top, followed by the formal gubernatorial proclamation and Sumner’s name in prominent type. Secretary John Avery attests to the document, which concludes with the official motto, “God Save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” Its elegant typography and formal arrangement exemplify the official printing of the early American republic. The text offers a revealing glimpse into the religious, political, and civic ideals of the young United States. Sumner gives thanks for the prosperity of agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, and commerce, as well as for public health, civil government, and the preservation of peace. He also expresses hope for lasting peace in Europe and America, reflecting the international tensions of the late eighteenth century. Throughout, the proclamation emphasizes gratitude to Divine Providence, religious observance, public virtue, and the responsibilities of citizenship. Issued just twenty-one years after the Declaration of Independence, this 1797 broadside is a compelling artifact of the Federal period and an evocative record of Massachusetts civic life at the close of the eighteenth century. Its survival preserves an official act of the Commonwealth, produced by its designated state printers during the formative years of the American republic. Some light water staining, else good.