Everyone knows the Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving, but few know that it did not become a national holiday until 1863. Even fewer people know that much of the credit for the national holiday can be attributed to the lobbying efforts of the ‘Mother of Thanksgiving’, Sarah Josepha Hale.
Sarah Hale was born in Newport, New Hampshire, in 1788. When her husband David died, leaving her a widow with five children, she began writing poetry as a way to earn money. Her most famous poem was the familiar childhood favorite, “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
She became the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book in 1837, making her a powerful, influential voice of that time. She used her platform to advocate for the education of women, the abolition of slavery, and the importance of women passing on religion to their children.
Sarah grew up observing a fall Thanksgiving holiday, but at the time, it was primarily a New England tradition. She often wrote about the holiday and advocated for states and the federal government to adopt an official Thanksgiving holiday.
The nation at that time was greatly divided. Sarah hoped that a national holiday dedicated to sitting down together and giving thanks to God could help ease tensions and promote unity. By 1854, 30 states and territories recognized and celebrated annual Thanksgiving, but there was still no federal recognition. While previous presidents, such as Washington, Adams, and Madison, had called for days of Thanksgiving to celebrate events like the end of war, other presidents, like Jefferson, felt that Thanksgiving was too religious in nature for a nation with a separation of church and state.
There were no Thanksgiving proclamations after 1815.
Sarah continued to push for Thanksgiving even after the start of the Civil War. In September 1863, she wrote again to President Lincoln and Secretary of State William Seward to argue for the importance of an annual national holiday. Her tireless efforts finally paid off one week later when Lincoln issued an official proclamation drafted by Seward establishing the final Thursday in November as a National Day of Thanksgiving. The two men hoped, like Sarah, that the move would promote healing and unity in a hurting nation.
As we look forward to Thanksgiving this year, let’s resist the temptation to view it as a minor historical holiday on our way to the Christmas season, or as simply a time to eat a large meal. Instead, let’s honor the memory of Sarah Hale and view it as a time to set aside our differences and draw closer to our family and neighbors by focusing on all that we have to be thankful for.
Crystal Kelly is a feature writer for Bizarre Bytes with those unusual facts that you only need to know for Trivial Pursuit, Jeopardy, or to stump your in-laws.
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