Chrisy58’s Weblog

Sarah Josepha Buell Hale is one of my ancestors who has always inspired me to keep fighting to overcome the struggles I have faced in this life. I have always like to read about her in the Buell Family History Book.

Most people do not know that Sarah encouraged and inspired President Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a National Holiday. Most people assoicate Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims. Actually very few people observed Thanksgiving until the year 1863.

She was born October 24,1788 in Newport, New Hampshire. She was always seeking after knowledge and wanted to improve her mind. She married David Hale, a young lawyer who had distinguished abilities and was of great excellent character. He taught her many things and they were very happy together. They had five children but he died and was left to support her young family.

She liked to write poems and was invited to move to Boston and be an editor of the Lady’s Magazine, the first American periodical for women. She continued to edit that magazine until 1837 when it was united with Lady’s Book in Philadelphia.

Some of her works include Sketches of American Character, Traits of American life, and The Lady’s Wreath. She fought for women’s rights and was a very strong woman of moral character. By her energy, perserverance and devotion she placed herself among the foremost of the famous women of America and her life affords a cheering example to struggling women to follow.

In 1827 Sarah wrote ” We have too few holidays. Thanksgiving like the Forth of July should be considered a National festival and observed by all our people…”

It was in 1846 that Sarah as editor of the Godey’s Lady’s Book in Philadelphia, that she began her intensive campaign for a nationwide observance of Thanksgiving Day.

Her publication of Northwood (life of the North and South) into two volumes which came out in December 1827 brought her public recognition.

Each year she wrote and editorial urging the states to set apart the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. Each year she wrote letters to Governors of all the states and territories, pleading with them to procliam a Thanksgiving Day which would be observed by all the states at the same time.

In the 1850’s Sarah sent letters to Congress and various eminent men stressing the need for a National Thanksgiving Day. Even with war clouds hanging over the country she felt this would unite the country observing a National Holiday would bring us more unity as a nation. She hoped it would avert War. By 1852 she had won the support of all but two states, Virginia and Vermont.

But atlas 1860 the War came and many of the states abandoned the idea of Thanksgiving. Even in 1861 Sarah begged that ” We lay aside our enmities and strifes… on this one day,” but she failed.

On July 3, 1863 when the news flashed that the great battle of Gettysburg was at last ended, Sarah recongized this as her supreme moment and quickly wrote a letter to President Lincoln enclosing a copy of Washington’s Proclamation of 1789 and urged him to proclaim a day of National Thanksgiving. Lincoln complied with the request and he issued the proclamation setting aside a day for National Thanksgiving. The following year he again declared a National Thanksgiving.

This achievement won Sarah Josepha Buell Hale the title “Mother of Thanksgiving” She was truly a remarkable woman. She organized the Seaman’s Aid Society in Boston early in 1833 to help solve the problem of poverty in seamen’s families. Out of this undertaking grew the first industrial trade school for girls to learn sewing, the first day nursery, the first Seaman’s hotel and the first library for Seamen.

Sarah always fought for the chance for women to receive an education. Even though she held neither a diploma or degree she was homeschooled by her husband and was very well educated. They were very happy together and their home was very loving and yet a place of learning. They studied French, Botany, Geology, Literature and of course Government as her husband was Lawyer. She shown us that just because we may not go to fancy colleges we can still educate ourselves and seek to learn and gain knowledge. I have always tried to follow in her footsteps.

Sarah Josepha Buell Hale was a strong women who never gave up in fighting for what she believed in. I guess I inherited some of her genes as I too am fighter and stand for what I believe even though the odds are against me. I stand alone if I have too in fighting for what I believe is right.

I would consider her to be a Feminist in the sense that she believed that women should have the right to a good education and have rights. What does it mean to be a Feminist? To me Sarah Hale is an example of what a Feminist is. A Feminist is fighting for women to be able to be the best they can be.

Thank you Sarah Josepha Buell Hale for playing a role in our nation’s history and for helping women to become the best they could be.

im related to her too!!! my last name is hale, but its not just that i researched it and she acually was related to me.

Comment by mary November 27, 2008 @ 7:07 pm

Happy Thanksgiving Mary,

The great thing about tracing back your family tree is you find many people who are also related to that person. She was a great woman. I hope you had a good day.

Best Wishes
Chrisy

Comment by chrisy58 November 28, 2008 @ 2:06 am

Hello, my name is Kaylyn & I am a student at Indian Valley High School in central Pennsylvania. I am currently doing a project called the Living Museum for my English class and I am portraying Sarah Josepha Hale. I was doing some research and I came across your page and I wanted to ask you for some help. It seems you know quite a bit about Mrs. Hale. If you know anymore than what you have here, or you know of some good information sources that you could share with me, that would be greatly apprecitated. If you don’t have any other info, that is perfectly fine. Just disregard this message. Thank you!

Sincerly,
Kaylyn Hannon

Comment by Kaylyn January 27, 2009 @ 2:53 am

Dear Kaylyn,

I pretty much shared what was in the Buell family history book so there isn’t really anything more I can add.

Good luck with your part. I wish you the best. She is a wonderful woman, who I admire so much.

Best Wishes
Chrisy

Comment by chrisy58 January 27, 2009 @ 3:33 am