Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! I did a quick post about this holiday last year, but here is an interesting bit of information about this holiday that was established by President Woodrow Wilson but was conceived by a woman named Anna Jarvis.

Anna Jarvis, according to memory.loc.gov, conceived and launched the campaign that resulted in a national holiday honoring mothers:

Legislative actions and annual Congressional proclamations documented in the Congressional Record praise her tireless efforts to create a lasting commemoration to her mother, Anna Reeves Jarvis, as well as to all mothers, living and deceased.

After her mother’s death on May 9, 1905, Anna Jarvis was determined to fulfill her mother’s hope that a Memorial Mothers Day be established to recognize the important roles that mothers play in the family, church, and community. Anna Reeves Jarvis embodied the attributes of many nineteenth-century women who believed that mothers, and in fact all women, could be a powerful force in their communities. Mrs. Jarvis acted upon her beliefs and created Mothers Day Work Clubs that tackled local problems such as poor sanitary conditions and epidemic diseases."

You can view and download the original Mother's Day Proclamation at archives.gov.