The Origin of Mother's Day

"All that I am and will ever be I owe to my angel mother." ~ Abraham Lincoln

   In the United States, Mother's Day was first proposed in 1872 by the author of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic," Julia Ward Howe. She organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston, Massachusetts every year.
    In 1907, Anna Jarvis, who lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, began a campaign to establish Mother's Day on a national level. She asked her own mother's church in West Virginia to observe the day on the second anniversary of her mother's death, which was the second Sunday in May.
    This movement grew as Ms. Jarvis and her supporters contacted politicians, pastors, and other key leaders to promote the establishment of a special day for mothers. The vision was for a special time when children could formally show respect for their mothers and reinforce family bonds. Anna Jarvis' efforts became successful by 1911 when Mother's Day observances were across America.
    On May 8, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a joint resolution of the Congress designating the second Sunday in May each year as Mother's Day" and requesting the President to call for its appropriate observance. Every President has done so since.