Godey's Lady's Book editor, Sarah Hale, began a letter-writing campaign to establish the last Thursday in November as a national Thanksgiving Day. Hale began writing essays calling for the national celebration of the holiday as the editor of Boston's Ladies' Magazine in 1827. Godey's merged with Ladies' Magazine in Philadelphia a decade later and Hale's editorials reached an audience of approximately 150,000 people. In 1846, however, she moved beyond her readership and for the next 17 years directly petitioned state and federal officials. Her perseverance yielded increasing response from state governors and other politicians such as Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of State, William Seward. Letter from Massachusetts Governor, Nathaniel P. Banks, to Sarah Hale, September 28, 1863.