Updated · Letters from an American | Heather Cox Richardson · May 10
Julia Ward Howe calls for Mothers' Day to advocate peace
Updated
Updated · Letters from an American | Heather Cox Richardson · May 10
Julia Ward Howe calls for Mothers' Day to advocate peace
6 articles · Updated · Letters from an American | Heather Cox Richardson · May 10
Writing in Boston after the Civil War and 1870 Franco-Prussian War, Howe proposed annual June 2 observances and circulated her appeal in five European languages.
She argued mothers should resist wars decided by men and linked peace activism to women gaining political power through organised clubs and the suffrage movement.
The report contrasts Howe's plural "Mothers' Day" with Anna Jarvis's 1908 holiday, saying the original observance sought peace and equal rights rather than private family celebration.
Was Mother's Day born from an anti-war protest rather than a family celebration?
With family benefits cut in 2026, could Mother's Day reclaim its political roots?