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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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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. Which day does the proclamation name?
  2. 2. Why might Lincoln speak to citizens "in every part of the United States" during the Civil War?
  3. 3. What does the extract not say about how to celebrate?
  4. 4. Why does he include those "at sea" and those "sojourning in foreign lands"?
2.Which branch makes a day a federal holiday by passing a law?
  • A.Each city government
  • B.The Supreme Court
  • C.Congress, the legislative branch
3.What is a proclamation?
  • A.An official public announcement by a leader
  • B.A private diary entry
  • C.A newspaper advertisement
4.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
5.Why did General Order No. 3 matter even though the Emancipation Proclamation came in 1863?
  • A.The order was about Thanksgiving
  • B.Texas had already ended slavery in 1863
  • C.The Union Army had to arrive to enforce freedom in places such as Texas

LessonPrint · D2.His.11.3-5 · Set 21 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Holiday Proclamations

Set 21. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. The last Thursday of November. 2. To bring citizens of the divided United States together in one day of Thanksgiving. 3. It does not say what to eat or do, only to set apart and observe the day. 4. So that every citizen, even those far from home, could join in.
  2. 2.Congress, the legislative branch
  3. 3.An official public announcement by a leader
  4. 4.To set a day apart and explain why it matters
  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.