Howe's spirit is infused in Mother's Day

On the front pew of Channing Memorial Church there is a small bronze plaque engraved with the name Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910). On this weekend when many send cards and visit their mothers, it is fitting to pay tribute to a woman who is considered by some the founder of Mother’s Day.

Despite losing her mother at the age of five, Julia was a bright and spirited girl, known for her beauty and striking red hair. The Ward children had the most carefree time during the summer months staying with their grandparents in Newport, RI. They were allowed to run and play on Third Beach which was in sharp contrast to their strict upbringing in New York high society.

At a time when education was considered unwarranted for girls, Julia enjoyed attending a private school for young ladies. She thrived on her studies. Through out her lifetime she was a voracious reader and published several volumes of poetry.

Julia Ward married at the age of twenty-four, so much later than many of her contemporaries that there were whispers she might have become an old maid. Her husband was Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, head of Perkins Institute for the Blind. Although he admired her intelligence, Samuel felt that Julia’s forthright and independent manner was unbecoming for his future wife. Upon his insistence, she agreed to give up her aspirations for a literary career. However, with the support of her brothers she retained her maiden name to be known as Julia Ward Howe instead of Mrs. Samuel Gridley Howe.

The Howes took up residence in Boston often entertaining statesmen, great thinkers and abolitionists. Julia learned to cook and clean without any domestic help, as well as caring for their six children. It was in Boston that Julia became a Unitarian and a close associate of the Rev. James Freeman Clarke.

When the Civil War broke out, Dr. Howe became a member of the Sanitary Commission. In 1861, Julia accompanied her husband on a trip to Washington along with Governor and Mrs. Andrews and the Rev. James Freeman Clarke. They visited with President Abraham Lincoln and attended a review of the Union troops.

During their long journey, they passed the time by singing songs. One was the popular ditty, “John Brown’s Body”. Her minister suggested that Julia write new lyrics to the stirring tune. That same night, she awoke from her hotel room bed and in one sitting wrote the words of the now famous Battle Hymn of the Republic. When she returned home, she submitted her verse to the Atlantic Monthly, which paid her $5 to publish her work anonymously. The song was widely sung both by soldiers in the battlefield and in public ceremonies. Julia Ward Howe received acclaim through out her life and was often called upon to recite her work for public gatherings. Even today, the Battle Hymn is often heard at ceremonial occasions.

As a part of the abolitionist movement and in support of the war effort, Julia worked closely with other women sewing clothes and bandages and organizing bazaars. After the Civil War, she was a leader in the Women’s Suffrage Movement, demonstrating that females are capable of so much more than housework and raising children. With the encouragement of the Rev. Charles Brooks, the first minister of the Unitarian church in Newport, she also began a full schedule of public speaking and preaching.

Julia Ward Howe first organized Mother’s Day in 1872 as a day dedicated to peace. Her motivation was quite different from the modern holiday. She felt that women as the bearers of children held a powerful position in the protection of human life from the violence of war. She organized an international campaign known as the Women’s Peace Crusade.

On this Mother’s Day, we can celebrate that American women have the right to vote, to education, to work outside the home, to publish openly, and to hold public office. In times of war, women are no longer limited to sewing and nursing but serve in the armed forces and government. However, we must also recognize that not all women enjoy equal status around the globe. We honor the countless mothers who have suffered the loss of their sons and daughters in war. Julia Ward Howe is a shining example of a woman who lived her convictions and strived through out her life to reform society to become more just and equitable. In the same way, let us find ways to become an ever more loving and inclusive world community.