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The History of Father’s Day

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Maybe you are planning to buy your dad a tie for Father’s Day or send him a card. If you live with or near your dad, your family might have a tradition of going to a certain restaurant or cooking his favorite food on that day. In the early 1900s, however, Father’s Day had not yet been recognized as a holiday. It took even more time for people (including fathers) to welcome the idea of celebrating a man’s relationship with his children.

The first Father’s Day service was held on July 5, 1908 at a church in Fairmont, West Virginia; however, Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Washington became the biggest campaigner for a day to honor fathers. Her own father raised six children as a single parent. As she listened to a Mother’s Day church service, she thought fathers deserved their own special day. In 1910 Dodd promoted her idea through local churches and the YMCA. She also enlisted the aid of retailers, who were thrilled with the idea that customers might buy men’s clothing and other products for the occasion.

What Dodd didn’t anticipate was the negative reaction that fathers would have to the idea of Father’s Day. Many men worried that Dodd’s emphasis on the kind, nurturing qualities of fathers would make them seem less masculine and tough. Even greeting card companies complained, “mannish-looking cards are hard to design.” Two U.S. presidents, Woodrow Wilson and Calvin Coolidge, supported the day and Congress tried twice to get Father’s Day resolutions passed. Still the public did not show much interest, suspecting that retailers just wanted another holiday similar to Mother’s Day so that they could make money.

Father’s Day became more successful after World War II, when stores like Bloomingdale’s in New York used the slogan “Every Dad’s a Hero.” After the stress of war, more men liked the idea of returning to their families. They had already proved their toughness by surviving the war. The day also got a boost from the idea of Father’s Day as a time when dad could do whatever he wanted. As one Father’s Day card from the 1920s stated, “May you sleep as long as you want in the morning. May you have the newspaper when you want it and as long as you want it…here’s hoping no one asks you to drive the car or go to church.”

A combination of better marketing and a focus on indulging dads made Father’s Day increasingly popular. In 1972 President Nixon signed a final Congressional resolution that made Father’s Day the third Sunday in June.

Fort Sumter and the Start of the Civil War

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Imagine that you have just become President of the United States. You gave your first speech to the nation and attended the inaugural ball. After the ball, you are handed a note that says that one of the remaining federal forts in the South is in danger. Abraham Lincoln had to deal with a crisis almost from the moment he became president.

The letter Lincoln read was from Major Robert Anderson, commander of the Federal troops at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Members of the newly formed Confederacy had surrounded the fort with ships and cannon. Anderson implored Lincoln to send more supplies to the fort.

Members of Lincoln’s cabinet all gave different opinions as to what the President should do. Some said the fort should be evacuated to avoid a civil war with the South, while others said he should send extra troops to protect the fort. Lincoln decided to do neither—he would send a boat with supplies to the fort but troops and warships were instructed to stand by and respond only if the Confederates fired the first shot. He sent a messenger to inform the governor of South Carolina “to expect an attempt will be made to supply Fort Sumpter [sic] with provisions only; and that, if such attempt be not resisted, no effort to throw in men, arms, ammunition will be made…[except] in case of an attack on the Fort.”

The South Carolina Confederates, however, saw the fort as an example of a foreign nation (the Union) trying to stick around in the newly independent Confederate States. They also believed that war would bring the upper Southern States, like Virginia, to their aid. On April 12, 1861, Confederates opened fire on the fort. The supply ship had not yet arrived and other nearby boats were prevented from aiding Anderson’s men by the high seas. As a result, Federal forces were outmanned and had limited gun power. After over a day of bombardment that destroyed parts of the fort, Federal forces surrendered it to the Confederates. Ironically, no one was killed in the first confrontation of the Civil War that later took so many lives.

Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address

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240px-Gettysburg_Address_at_Lincoln_Memorial At the Battle of Gettysburg, the Confederate dead, wounded, and missing numbered 28,000 with 23,000 for the Union. Following the battle that created more casualties than any other in American history, plans began for the dedication of a national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Despite the later fame of his Gettysburg Address, President Lincoln was not the first person asked to speak at the dedication. In addition to former U.S. Senator Edward Everett, several famous poets were invited, including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The poets declined, so an invitation was sent to the President of the United States. Still, Lincoln only needed to say “a few appropriate remarks” after Everett’s speech was over.

Lincoln didn’t mind keeping his speech short, but he took the task of speaking about the war in person seriously. Despite popular myth, the address was not written hastily on a train while Lincoln traveled to Gettysburg. Though he likely was still editing the speech in his mind, Lincoln’s secretary insisted that the train ride was too bumpy for Lincoln to write on it. Instead, Lincoln revised his well-thought out remarks at the home of his host in town.

On the morning of November 19, 1863, Everett and Lincoln were seated in front of a large crowd that had gathered for the dedication. Everett’s speech lasted two hours, so a rather tired audience prepared itself for a long oration from the President. Instead, they heard a two-minute speech that would be remembered nearly 150 years later.

In the address, Lincoln first asked the audience to recall the founding ideals of the nation, that all men are created equal. He viewed The Civil War as a test of those ideals: “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether…any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.” Lincoln then gave credit to what the soldiers had done for their country in the recent past, saying, “We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live.”

The end of the address looked to the future and pointed out the responsibility of those who were still living: “we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.” The new nation, Lincoln hoped, would result in a reunion of the states and the end of slavery.

Though the Gettysburg Address was not immediately popular, some discerning listeners recognized its significance. The next day Edward Everett wrote to Lincoln, “I should be glad…that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes.”

For the full text of the Gettysburg Address see http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/gettyb.asp

Image: Gettysburg Address at Lincoln Memorial

Railroads in the Civil War

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  1863 Union Locomotive
This year the 150th anniversary of the Civil War will be commemorated with ceremonies and reenactments of battles. Though tactics on the field influenced the outcome of the war, the way in which both sides chose to use the new technology of the railroads in the 1860s was equally important. 

The Confederacy had some disadvantages over the Union in using the railroads to transport men and supplies. They had only 9,500 miles of railroad versus the Union’s 21,000 miles. Yet at the beginning of the war some Confederate generals did use this new technology successfully. At the Battle of Bull Run, Confederate forces won in part because the troops had been sent by train to the battle and were consequently well rested. In contrast, Union forces were tired from marching in the Virginia heat before the fighting started.

Over the next couple of years, the Union took action and began to utilize its railroads more effectively. The United States Military Railroad was created in 1862, and Congress gave the government the authority to take over the railroads for war purposes. The USMR included career railroaders, soldiers, and other workers. They were taught to operate, repair and build railroads. The Confederacy did not organize a similar force. Unlike the Union, the Confederate government opposed taking over the privately owned railroads. Their lack of an organized rail system had important consequences.

The consequences became clear in 1863 when Union forces were nearly wiped out at the Battle of Chickamauga (northern Georgia) and were pushed back to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Two weeks later, the Union moved 25,000 soldiers to support the remaining Union forces and grabbed a victory at Chattanooga.

The Confederacy also lacked mechanics that were skilled in rebuilding railroads and repairing railroad parts, so when Union forces sabotaged Southern rail lines it was difficult for them to rebuild. Southern forces wrecked Northern rail lines, too but the Union had more manpower to rebuild them. General Sherman took advantage of the Confederacy’s lack of manpower on his way to capturing Atlanta. His soldiers pulled up rails, heated them so they would bend, and wrapped them around tree trunks to make what were called Sherman’s Neckties.

General Grant also used the Union railroads to supply his army when he attempted to capture the Confederate capital in Richmond, Virginia. Though he had to move a little further South, Grant managed to surround Confederate General Lee’s forces, which eventually surrendered in 1865.     

 (Pictured: Union locomotive, 1863)

The History of Memorial Day

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Maybe you and your family are planning a barbeque for Memorial Day Weekend, or you’re planning to take a short trip out of town. But do you know why Memorial Day is a national holiday?

A few years after the Civil War, Major General John A. Logan determined that a day should be set aside for decorating the graves of the soldiers who died in the conflict. Back then, Decoration Day [known commonly today as Memorial Day] was always celebrated on May 30. That day was supposedly chosen because flowers throughout the U.S. would be in bloom in late spring. General Logan declared that “we should guard [the graves of Civil war soldiers] with sacred vigilance…Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.”

During the late nineteenth century, many communities in both the North and South already placed flowers on the graves of soldiers from the Civil War, but Logan’s proclamation and specific date made the practice even more popular. By the end of World War I, Memorial Day observances honored all soldiers who died in America’s wars.

240px-Memorial_Day_Armed_Forces

 In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by Congress and was placed on the last Monday in May, providing a three-day weekend for the public. In recent years the day has been observed with parades that include members of the armed forces. Yet some believe that the focus on travel and family get-togethers during Memorial Day weekend has diminished the original purpose of the day—to honor America’s fallen soldiers. In order to “put the memorial back into Memorial Day”, Congress proposed that a National Moment of Remembrance be observed on that day. All Americans are encouraged to stop whatever they are doing at 3pm for a minute of silence to honor those who gave their lives for their country. President Clinton signed the resolution into law in 2000.

As you enjoy your day off from school, take a moment to remember why Memorial Day was created and think about the sacrifices of our soldiers.

 

Millie’s Tales: President George Bush Senior’s Dog

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“Millie was a joy to us in the White House,” said First Lady Barbara Bush of the family’s English Springer Spaniel. She helped to give George Bush Senior’s presidency a sense of family. In fact, Millie had her own family of puppies while living at the White House. A cage was set up in the East Room for tourists to see the puppies. President Bush took time out to play with the puppies, rolling around on the White House lawn with them.

Millie and her puppies also entertained the president’s guests. He took every delegation, foreign, congressional, etc. to see the puppies. Millie and one of her sons, Ranger, even welcomed Russian President Boris Yeltsin.

When Barbara Bush needed help raising money for her literacy foundation, Millie was glad to assist. In Millie’s Book, as the book jacket claimed, Millie dictated her White House experiences to Barbara. “I often sit in on the morning briefings,” Millie said. She also bragged about the opportunity to meet important people like journalist Diane Sawyer, preacher Billy Graham, and the President of France. Of course, there were times when even a famous dog wanted to be like other dogs. Millie admitted, “I sometimes want to go out and hunt for squirrels.” Millie’s Book made over one million dollars for the literacy foundation.

Even though she was a celebrity, Millie eventually had to give up her position as White House dog when her master lost to Bill Clinton. Still, she stood proudly by her family as they greeted the Clintons on the White House porch. Eventually Millie’s daughter, Spot, would return to the White House as the second George Bush’s presidential dog.

 

Laddie Boy: President Harding’s Presidential Pooch

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Although President Warren Harding accomplished little while in office, he invented the now common presidential doggie photo op. Harding loved dogs and used them during his presidential campaign to demonstrate his connection to the average person. The Hardings’ Airedale Laddie Boy certainly knew how to steal the spotlight. His popularity with reporters was so great that they often quoted him in pretend interviews. For example, one newspaper included Laddie Boy’s hope that watchdogs would be given an eight-hour workday.

Laddie Boy was always included in White House activities, such as welcoming visitors. Harding even gave the dog a hand carved chair to sit in during cabinet meetings. Considering the financial problems and scandals his administration encountered, Harding must have felt comforted by Laddie Boy’s presence at official White House functions. On his birthday, other local dogs were invited to share Laddie Boy’s birthday cake made out of dog biscuits.

Despite his celebrity status, Laddie Boy also enjoyed some regular dog activities in his free time. For example, Harding’s fondness for practicing his golf swing on the White House Lawn was matched by Laddie Boy’s enthusiasm for retrieving the golf balls. Laddie Boy also regularly brought the morning paper to his master.

Unlike his master, Laddie Boy’s popularity never diminished. When Harding died, schoolchildren collected pennies that were melted down and molded into a likeness of the dog. Today visitors to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C can view Laddie Boy’s statue.

 

Fala: Franklin Roosevelt’s Presidential Pup

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President Franklin Roosevelt owned a variety of dogs throughout his life, but when he was elected president he needed one that wouldn’t misbehave. In 1940, FDR’s cousin gave him a Scottish Terrier for Christmas. FDR named the dog Fala and he became instantly popular with everyone in the White House. A few weeks after Fala arrived, he got sick to his stomach. The White House staff had become so fond of him that everyone gave the little dog too much food. After that, FDR ordered that only he would feed Fala and the dog got better. In order to receive his food, Fala first had to do tricks like shaking hands and begging, but he didn’t seem to mind as long as his master was there.

Fala was the president’s nearly constant companion. He met with important world leaders and was present when FDR signed the Atlantic Charter, which outlined the aims England and the U.S. had for World War II. He attended press conferences and was trained to shake hands so he could welcome important people to the White House. In the evening he helped FDR entertain guests, or sometimes he napped. The dog even slept in the president’s bedroom at night.

Fala’s popularity was not limited to FDR and the White House staff, however. Photographers loved taking pictures of the Scottie. Fan mail regularly arrived for him from people all over the country. He received more letters and certainly more compliments than most presidents. A book about Fala was written for his adoring fans. In it, Fala expressed his disappointment that the Secret Service would not allow him to attend his master’s third inauguration. Though both were sad when FDR passed away, Fala quickly became First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s companion.

 

Abigail Smith Adams–Future First Lady

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Girls in the eighteenth century were expected to learn household chores and the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. The girls in the Smith family of Braintree Massachusetts, however, gained more knowledge than many of their friends. While they learned to sew and cook from their mother, they also had access to their father’s impressive library. Abigail, nicknamed Nabby, was especially eager to spend her spare time reading authors such as Shakespeare. Though her mother thought her daughter was wasting time on topics women did not need to know, Abigail’s father encouraged his daughter’s curiosity. He taught her not only to read literature and history, but also to ask questions about what she read.

In addition to reading, Abigail also spent hours writing. She learned to write by copying sentences in a notebook. Writing was one way that young girls at the time could communicate privately with friends, and Abigail took full advantage of the opportunity. She and her friends shared their everyday experiences and the crushes they had on boys as they wrote by candlelight. Abigail even practiced writing some letters in basic French, but did not learn Latin as many eighteenth century boys did.

Abigail’s curiosity made her unwilling to accept things simply because she was told they were true. She became skilled at debating various topics with her family—a skill she would later use in conversations with her husband John Adams about America’s relationship with Britain. One friend said to her during a debate, “Nabby, you will either make a very bad, or a very good woman.” As it turned out, Abigail’s skills made her the perfect partner for the man who would take a major role in starting the American Revolution.