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HARRISON, BENJAMIN

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HARRISON, BENJAMIN
(1833 - 1901) 23rd President of the United States. Fine and important content D.S. "Benj. Harrison" as President, 1p. 4to., Washington, July 21, 1892 in which Harrison orders the Secretary of State to affix the seal of the United States on his "...proclamation naming Friday, Oct. 21, 1892, as a day of general holiday, pursuant to the Joint Resolution of Congress approved June 29, 1892..." The holiday in question was to commemorate the 400th. anniversary of the landing of Columbus in America! Although Columbus Day had been celebrated by various Italian-American groups since the 1860's, this was the first time it was made a federal holiday. Although the holiday was always celebrated on October 12, the day Columbus landed in the Bahamas, Congress and Hayes chose October 21 because it was also the day for dedication ceremonies for the World Colombian Exposition in Chicago (which did not officially open until May 1, 1893). The day was officially billed as "National Colombian Public School Celebration of October 21, 1892" which included the first public recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance by an estimated 10 million school children across the country which had been written by Francis Bellamy in that year. The official programme of activities on that day also called for pupils, after the recitation of the pledge, to say in unison "One Country! One Language, One Flag!". This was likely a reaction to the millions of southern and eastern Europeans who were just arriving in the United States, causing a great measure of discomfort to "native" Americans. We don't know if anyone at the time detected the irony of the fact that Columbus was an Italian. Columbus day would not, however, become a regular holiday until Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed October 12, 1937. Usual folds, otherwise very good to fine condition.