Memorial Day: How it came to be, and how it evolved
There are different historic accounts as to the technical origins of the holiday.
However, Memorial Day, originally called 'Decoration Day,' became most widely known after it was established in 1868 by Grand Army of the Republic Commander-in-Chief John A. Logan, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Road closures in DC for National Memorial Day Parade
After the Civil War, which ended in 1865, fallen servicemembers would periodically have their graves decorated with flowers. On May 5, 1868, the 'Memorial Day Act' was issued by Logan and dedicated as a Decoration Day for the war dead.
Women played a part in the advocacy of a commemorative holiday. The idea of honoring the graves of fallen Civil War servicemembers began in Columbus, Georgia, after their city cemetery was damaged. A Ladies Memorial Association's efforts to improve it led to a media campaign in which Secretary Mary Ann Williams published a letter in the local newspaper on March 11, 1866.
War memorials draw large crowds to the National Mall Memorial Day weekend
The letter advocated 'to set apart a certain day to be observed…and be handed down through time as a religious custom of the country, to wreathe the graves of our martyred dead with flowers.' Their proposed date was April 26, 1866.
However, the Grand Army of the Republic ultimately placed the ceremonial observation on May 30 to provide enough time for a variety of springtime flowers to be in bloom.
At a time when the country was adjusting to the aftermath of the Civil War, the holiday allowed a sense of camaraderie.
In 1873, New York became the first state to officially recognize the holiday, and the remaining Union states recognized Decoration Day by 1890.
Decoration Day became increasingly known as Memorial Day over the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as an informal patriotic holiday, according to Veterans Affairs. After World War I, the event was expanded to include deaths in all American wars.
Legislation enacted in 1968 — going into effect in 1971 — designated Memorial Day a national holiday and moved it from May 30 to the last Monday in May.
As it currently stands, the holiday is now designed 'to observe Memorial Day by praying, according to their individual religious faith, for permanent peace,' according to Cornell Law School.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
One of NYC's oldest occupied homes is up for sale in Harlem
A piece of NYC history is on sale on East 128th Street. A pre-Civil War clapboard townhouse — widely considered to be the one of the oldest occupied single-family dwellings in Harlem — has hit the market for $3.25 million. Tucked between two larger and much newer buildings, the ornamented, light green exterior of the home appears much the same today as it did in the 1800's. 9 The townhome's whimsical facade has been lovingly maintained as the neighborhood has evolved. Max Mural Photography The interiors, on the other hand, have undergone a radical makeover. A 1981 landmark report recognized the property as one of Harlem's few surviving frame houses, calling it 'remarkably intact.' It was constructed in 1864, according to the report, back when Harlem was just a semi-rural suburb. The quaint holdout was among the first wave of fashionable row houses on East 128th Street — one of Harlem's first residential developments. The eclectic gem was built in the once-trendy French Second Empire style, defined by mansard roofs, dormer windows and ornamental flourishes. 9 The pre-Civil War home is a miraculous holdout from Harlem's first wave of residential development. Max Mural Photography 9 An illustration of rural Harlem in 1869, before the neighborhood joined New York City. NYPL 9 Ornamental scrollwork and gingerbread carpentry adorn the wide front porch. Max Mural Photography 9 Original molding, fireplaces and ceramic ceiling medallions remain, but with a fresh coat of paint. Max Mural Photography Its neighbors were demolished and replaced over the years, but this stalwart survivor stood the test of time. The four-story structure last traded hands for $3.6 million in 2015. The pricey purchase made headlines, with outlets reporting buyer Jack Stephenson's plans to host a musical nonprofit in the home. That arrangement eventually ended in a legal dispute, however, and the property is now owner occupied. 9 The entryway to the four-story home. Max Mural Photography The home, which spans 3,225 square feet of living space in addition to an unfinished basement, has been aggressively updated over the past decade. Practical improvements included all new plumbing and electrical systems, as well as modern amenities like walk-in closets, a backyard irrigation system and an open-concept kitchen. While the subzero refrigerator may not be period accurate, plenty of original details remain. Stephenson restored and painted the original fireplaces and molding, according to the listing, as well as the ceramic medallions that crown the home's 12-foot ceilings. 9 The home received new hardwood floors after 2015. Max Mural Photography 9 The open-concept kitchen. Max Mural Photography 9 The large backyard terrace, also remodeled. Max Mural Photography The exterior received a fresh coast of paint as well, listing agent Matthew Langer of Weichert Realtors told The Post, and the backyard's cedar siding was completely replaced. Despite the massive renovations, the current sale marks a $350,000 discount from the $3.6 million deal in 2015. Langer said that today's $3.25 million price tag was set by an independent appraiser. It's possible that the comparatively pricey 2015 sale reflected one buyer's enthusiasm for the property's history, rather than its market value. Still, the clapboard abode is a true standout among Harlem's for-sale single-family homes. 'There's a couple of brownstones, but this is the last wood framed house that I've seen,' Langer said.
Washington Post
a day ago
- Washington Post
Sudan's calamity and ‘the end of the liberal world order'
The superlatives in Sudan remain bleak. The country is home to the world's worst hunger crisis, a man-made calamity brought on by more than two years of disastrous civil war and state collapse that has led to more than 150,000 deaths. It is home to the world's biggest displacement crisis, with more than 12 million people driven from their houses and neighborhoods. And it's home to the world's largest education crisis for children, with as many as 17 million children out of school. The U.N. projects that about 3.2 million children under 5 will suffer acute malnutrition in the next year.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
What happened to Confederate money after the Civil War?
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you'd like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@ What happened to Confederate money after the Civil War? – Ray G., 12, Arlington, Virginia At the time the Civil War began in 1861, the United States government did not print paper money; it only minted coins. As a historian of the American Civil War, I study how the Confederate government used a radical idea: printing paper money. In 1861, 11 states tried to leave the United States and form a new country, causing a four-year war. Wars cost a lot of money so the new country, called the Confederate States of America, printed money as a way to pay its bills. But this money was more like a promise – in technical terms, a 'promissory note' – because its certificates were really pledges to give the currency's holder a specific amount of gold or silver, but only if the Confederacy won the war. Bills issued earlier in the war said right on them, 'Six months after the ratification of a treaty of peace between the Confederate States and the United States, the Confederate States of America will pay' the bill's amount to the person holding it. Later currency delayed the promised payout until two years after a peace treaty. The notes were commonly called 'graybacks,' after Confederate soldiers, who wore gray uniforms. The bills were decorated with a variety of images, including depictions of mythological gods or goddesses, like the goddess of liberty. Other graybacks bore images of important people in Southern history like George Washington, Andrew Jackson and Jefferson Davis. Some of the bills depicted enslaved Americans working in the fields, or featured pictures of cotton or trains. But these images often weren't very good quality, because the Confederacy didn't have many engravers who could make the detailed plates to print the money. When the South started losing the war, the value of Confederate money dropped. In addition, prices for food, clothing and other necessities rose because many items were scarce during the war. Graybacks became almost worthless. In late 1864, a few months before the war's end, one Confederate dollar was worth just three cents in U.S. currency. When the Confederate army surrendered in April 1865, graybacks lost any remaining value they might have had. The Confederacy no longer existed, so there was nobody who would exchange its paper money for gold or silver. Today, though, Confederate dollars have value as a collectible item. Just like people will pay money to own a Civil War hat or musket, they will pay money to own Confederate money. Some rare Confederate bills are now worth 10 times more than they were in 1861. Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you'd like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@ Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live. And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you're wondering, too. We won't be able to answer every question, but we will do our best. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Robert Gudmestad, Colorado State University Read more: How many states and provinces are in the world? Why are dollar bills green? Texas distorts its past – and Sam Houston's legacy – to defend Confederate monuments Robert Gudmestad does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
