The History of Memorial
Day
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Memorial Day was originally
known as Decoration Day because it was a time set aside
to honor the nation's Civil War dead by decorating their
graves. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to
commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, by
proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army
of the Republic, an organization of former sailors and
soldiers. On May 5, 1868, Logan declared in General
Order No. 11 that:
The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose
of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the
graves of comrades who died in defense of their country
during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in
almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the
land. In this observance no form of ceremony is
prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way
arrange such fitting services and testimonials of
respect as circumstances may permit.
During the first celebration of Decoration Day, General
James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National
Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to
decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and
Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery.
This 1868 celebration was inspired by local observances
of the day in several towns throughout America that had
taken place in the three years since the Civil War. In
fact, several Northern and Southern cities claim to be
the birthplace of Memorial Day, including Columbus,
Miss.; Macon, Ga.; Richmond, Va.; Boalsburg, Pa.; and
Carbondale, Ill.
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In 1966, the federal government, under
the direction of President Lyndon Johnson, declared Waterloo,
N.Y., the official birthplace of Memorial Day. They chose
Waterloo—which had first celebrated the day on May 5,
1866—because the town had made Memorial Day an annual,
community-wide event during which businesses closed and
residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and
flags.
By the late 1800s, many communities across the country had begun
to celebrate Memorial Day and, after World War I, observances
also began to honor those who had died in all of America's wars.
In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be
celebrated the last Monday in May. (Veterans Day, a day set
aside to honor all veterans, living and dead, is celebrated each
year on November 11.)
Today, Memorial Day is celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery
with a ceremony in which a small American flag is placed on each
grave. Also, it is customary for the president or vice-president
to give a speech honoring the contributions of the dead and lay
a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. About 5,000 people
attend the ceremony annually.
Several Southern states continue to set aside a special day for
honoring the Confederate dead, which is usually called
Confederate Memorial Day:
- Mississippi: Last Monday in April
- Alabama: Fourth Monday in April
- Georgia: April 26
- North Carolina: May 10
- South Carolina: May 10
- Louisiana: June 3
- Tennessee (Confederate Decoration Day): June 3
- Texas (Confederate Heroes Day): January 19
- Virginia: Last Monday in May
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