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A Mother's Day State of the Union - Ms.
Get ready, moms, for tokens and sentiment. Mother’s Day is nearly upon us, requiring homage of chocolate, flowers and/or sappy cards. It’s a day still seeking meaningful recognition. I mean, show her the money.
Anna Jarvis was a devoted daughter who, in 1908, publicly proposed a day in recognition of American mothers. Her own mom, Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia, had died in 1905, but left a legacy of helping to start Mothers’ Day Work Clubs. These had helped local women raise their kids and had built social bridges after the Civil War. Their “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” begun in 1868, had encouraged reconciliation for soldiers and causes on both sides.
In a similar vein, in 1870, Julia Ward Howe wrote a “Mother’s Day Proclamation” to call on mothers to unite in promoting world peace. In 1873, she campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day.”
By 1912, because of Anna Jarvis’ winning financial backing and waging a letter-writing campaign to newspapers, several states, towns and churches were making Mother’s Day an annual event. President Woodrow Wilson made it a federal holiday in 1914.
This didn’t prevent his later jailing and torturing young Lucy Burns and Alice Paul in 1917. They weren’t moms, but believed women, including moms, ought to be able to vote on public issues. Their crime was picketing the White House.
Anna Jarvis was a devoted daughter who, in 1908, publicly proposed a day in recognition of American mothers. Her own mom, Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia, had died in 1905, but left a legacy of helping to start Mothers’ Day Work Clubs. These had helped local women raise their kids and had built social bridges after the Civil War. Their “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” begun in 1868, had encouraged reconciliation for soldiers and causes on both sides.
In a similar vein, in 1870, Julia Ward Howe wrote a “Mother’s Day Proclamation” to call on mothers to unite in promoting world peace. In 1873, she campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day.”
By 1912, because of Anna Jarvis’ winning financial backing and waging a letter-writing campaign to newspapers, several states, towns and churches were making Mother’s Day an annual event. President Woodrow Wilson made it a federal holiday in 1914.
This didn’t prevent his later jailing and torturing young Lucy Burns and Alice Paul in 1917. They weren’t moms, but believed women, including moms, ought to be able to vote on public issues. Their crime was picketing the White House.
https://msmagazine.com/2025/05/09/mothers-day-policy-childcare-women-work-republicans-trump-cuts/