Julia
Ward Howe is best known for penning the famous Civil War song,
"The Battle Hymn of the Republic", but this abolitionist, poet
and social change activist was also an early advocate of one of
our most treasured holiday celebrations - Mother's Day. Although
her attempts at creating a national holiday to observe Mother's
Day weren't successful, the "Mother's Day Proclamation" she wrote
in 1870 urged the women of the world to join together for a "Mother's
Day for Peace", so that the atrocities that America witnessed
during the violent Civil War would never happen again. In addition
to advocating for peace, Julia Ward Howe was also active in working
for women's right to vote, as well as access to education for
girls. After she died, Julia Ward Howe's children wrote a biography
together about their mother. It was awarded a Pulitzer Prize.
In 1987 the US Postal Service created a 14 cent stamp honoring
this great American hero for a better world.
