How long did the first Thanksgiving Day last?

European settlers known as the Pilgrims were celebrating their autumn harvest after a winter of struggle. Other colonists held earlier ceremonies of thanks. But the Pilgrims’ three-day feast is often called the nation’s first Thanksgiving. President Abraham Lincoln declared a national holiday in 1863 during the Civil War.

The American Jobs Act calls for cutting wage taxes on most businesses. It seeks to prevent public employees like teachers, police and firefighters from losing their jobs to budget cutting measures. And it calls for more federal spending on roads and transportation infrastructure to help create jobs.