The Mother of Thanksgiving

You might not recognize the name Sarah Josepha Hale. But you know her work. She wrote the famous poem Mary Had a Little Lamb. She also helped create the national holiday of Thanksgiving!

When most people think of Thanksgiving, they think of the meal shared by Pilgrims and Native Americans 400 years ago. But different cultures have held yearly harvest feasts throughout history.

In the U.S., people continued the tradition. They gathered for a special meal of thanks but not always on the same date. 

Hale was born in 1788, and she loved Thanksgiving. She wanted all Americans to celebrate it on the same day every year. For decades, she wrote letters to presidents about creating such a day. But her efforts failed.

In 1863, Hale wrote a letter to President Abraham Lincoln. During this time, America was divided by the Civil War. Northern and Southern states were fighting each other. Lincoln agreed with Hale. He thought that a national Thanksgiving could help unite the country.

Thanks to Hale, Lincoln made a proclamation, or a public announcement. He said the last Thursday of every November would be Thanksgiving Day.

Melanie Kirkpatrick wrote a book about Hale.

“Hale’s accomplishment was huge,” she says. “Thanksgiving is an important part of our history and lives today.”