Part I
Sarah Hale was born on October 24, 1788 in Newport, New Hampshire. According to the National Women’s History Museum, “Her parents were strong advocates for education of both sexes. Therefore, Hale was taught well beyond the normal age for a woman.” As a result, she became an advocate for women’s education. She married a Lawyer, David Hale and when he passed away she used her poetry as a way to support her and her five children. “Her most famous book, titled Poems for Our Children included a beloved story from her childhood. ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb.’” She went on to become the editor of the Godey’s Lady’s Book in 1837. “Her work with the magazine made her one of the most influential voices in the 19th century.” It was from this platform that Hale pushed for a National Day of Thanksgiving. An article in the Hudson Institute by Melanie Kirkpatrick entitled, Giving Thanks for Sarah Josepha Hale, states:
“Thanksgiving Day, a homegrown holiday, fit into Hale’s journalistic mission of helping the new country develop a common culture. Hale campaigned both publicly and privately for a national Thanksgiving Day. The public part of her work unfolded in the pages of Godey’s Lady’s Book in a series of articles published between 1847 and 1863. The Lady’s Book, with its tens of thousands of readers nationwide, was a powerful platform, and she used its pages to build a consensus for her proposal. Her readers were located in every state and territory. Hale understood that if they got behind her call for a national Thanksgiving, politicians would likely pay heed … Most importantly, Hale viewed Thanksgiving as exerting a ‘deep moral influence’ on America’s national character.”
Hale is even credited with the very meal we eat on Thanksgiving day! In her novel Northwood, which was published in 1827, she details a Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, stuffing, gravy, and even pumpkin pie. It is no wonder that Hale is known as “the mother of Thanksgiving.”
Image found by a search online for copyright free images. Credit for photograph unknown. Photo can also be viewed on the Whole Foods website for Turkey Dinners.