Memorial Day Essay
Isabel Serrano
Expository
5/14/13
Memorial Day History
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday which occurs every year on the final Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars. It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.
The practice of decorating soldiers ' graves with flowers is an ancient custom. Soldiers ' graves were decorated in the U.S. before and during the American Civil War. A claim was made in 1906 that the first Civil War soldier 's grave ever decorated was in Warrenton, Virginia on June 3, 1861, implying the first Memorial Day occurred there. There is authentic documentation that women in Savannah, Georgia decorated soldiers ' graves in 1862. In 1863, the cemetery dedication at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was a ceremony of commemoration at the graves of dead soldiers. Local historians in Boalsburg, PA, claim that ladies there decorated soldiers ' graves on July 4, 1864. As a result, Boalsburg promotes itself as the birthplace of Memorial Day.
"This was the first Memorial Day. African Americans invented Memorial Day in Charleston, South Carolina. What you have there is black Americans recently freed from slavery announcing to the world with their flowers, their feet, and their songs what the War had been about. What they basically were creating was the Independence Day of a Second American Revolution.”
"Let us, then, all unite in the solemn feelings of the hour, and tender with our flowers the warmest sympathies of our souls!
Let us revive our patriotism and love of country by this act and strengthen our loyalty by the example of the noble dead around us"
The sheer
Expository
5/14/13
Memorial Day History
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday which occurs every year on the final Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars. It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.
The practice of decorating soldiers ' graves with flowers is an ancient custom. Soldiers ' graves were decorated in the U.S. before and during the American Civil War. A claim was made in 1906 that the first Civil War soldier 's grave ever decorated was in Warrenton, Virginia on June 3, 1861, implying the first Memorial Day occurred there. There is authentic documentation that women in Savannah, Georgia decorated soldiers ' graves in 1862. In 1863, the cemetery dedication at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was a ceremony of commemoration at the graves of dead soldiers. Local historians in Boalsburg, PA, claim that ladies there decorated soldiers ' graves on July 4, 1864. As a result, Boalsburg promotes itself as the birthplace of Memorial Day.
"This was the first Memorial Day. African Americans invented Memorial Day in Charleston, South Carolina. What you have there is black Americans recently freed from slavery announcing to the world with their flowers, their feet, and their songs what the War had been about. What they basically were creating was the Independence Day of a Second American Revolution.”
"Let us, then, all unite in the solemn feelings of the hour, and tender with our flowers the warmest sympathies of our souls!
Let us revive our patriotism and love of country by this act and strengthen our loyalty by the example of the noble dead around us"
The sheer
Cited: http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html http://activerain.com/blogsview/1086474/how-did-memorial-day-start-why-should-we-remember- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day http://www.history.com/topics/memorial-day-history http://www.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/history.asp http://www.pbs.org/memorialdayconcert/meaning/