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Holiday Proclamations is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on the audience and purpose of a holiday proclamation, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.His.11.3-5. It prints 5 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Holiday Proclamations

D2.His.11.3-5

NameDate

Read the source and answer the questions, then circle the right answers.

1.Look at the source, then answer the questions.

A Proclamation of Thanksgiving

An extract from a proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln, October 3, 1863, issued during the Civil War. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

  1. 1. Why might Lincoln speak to citizens "in every part of the United States" during the Civil War?
  2. 2. What does the extract not say about how to celebrate?
  3. 3. Who is the intended audience of the proclamation?
  4. 4. Who issued the proclamation, and when?
2.Why do leaders issue holiday proclamations?
  • A.To raise taxes
  • B.To end a war
  • C.To set a day apart and explain why it matters
3.Which amendment ended slavery throughout the whole country in 1865?
  • A.The 19th Amendment
  • B.The 1st Amendment
  • C.The 13th Amendment
4.Which is a primary source about Juneteenth?
  • A.General Order No. 3, read in Galveston in 1865
  • B.A modern encyclopedia article
  • C.A textbook chapter written in 2021
5.Why did General Order No. 3 matter even though the Emancipation Proclamation came in 1863?
  • A.The order was about Thanksgiving
  • B.The Union Army had to arrive to enforce freedom in places such as Texas
  • C.Texas had already ended slavery in 1863

LessonPrint · D2.His.11.3-5 · Set 2 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Holiday Proclamations

Set 2. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. To bring citizens of the divided United States together in one day of Thanksgiving. 2. It does not say what to eat or do, only to set apart and observe the day. 3. Fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and those at sea or sojourning in foreign lands. 4. President Abraham Lincoln, on October 3, 1863.
  2. 2.To set a day apart and explain why it matters
  3. 3.The 13th Amendment
  4. 4.General Order No. 3, read in Galveston in 1865
  5. 5.The Union Army had to arrive to enforce freedom in places such as Texas

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.His.11.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.