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We think of her every year at this time because she truly was the motivating force behind establishing Thanksgiving as the federal holiday that it is today.
She was definitely persistent in her efforts. In fact, she petitioned five different Presidents over a period of 36 years – in an attempt to ensure that Thanksgiving would become an official national holiday. She consistently communicated the following message to a succession of Presidents:
"Our Thanksgiving Day, becoming the focus of private life and the virtues of the people, should be hallowed and exalted and made the day of generous deeds and innocent enjoyments, of noble aspiration and heavenly hopes."
Finally, and thankfully, President Lincoln, in responding to her letter, on October 3rd, 1863, fulfilled her wish and officially proclaimed the day as one of "thanksgiving and praise.”
Her legacy may rest with the helping of founding Thanksgiving as a national holiday, but the Newport resident is also known for her ‘Poems for Our Children’ and her nursery rhyme, including one that is known by nearly every schoolchild in America - “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
But her life story is fascinating in ways that go beyond Thanksgiving and Mary Had a Little Lamb.’ Born in 1788, Hale was more educated than many women of her time. Her future appeared bright as she married and up and coming lawyer in Newport, had five children, and seemed destined for a quiet domestic life. Unfortunately, however, after nine years of marriage, her husband passed away after riding his horse through an ice storm to see a client, becoming quite ill, and ultimately succumbing. As a result, she became a widow and a single mother, left to figure out how to earn a living and raising her five children.
Undeterred, Hale pushed forward and accomplished the almost unthinkable for a woman of that era. She became a writer, sold her works and eventually was able to move to Boston and become a publisher. And thereafter - editor of ‘Godey’s Lady’s Book Magazine’ – essentially the leading women’s journal of her time. This little girl who had grown up in the small town of Newport, New Hampshire, had risen to become the leading female literary figure of her time – as well as the ultimate arbiter of taste and fashion in America.
In addition, she used her influence as a writer and editor to promote the Suffrage and Abolitionist Movements and focused on children's education. She also helped fund the preservation of George Washington’s home and the Bunker Hill monument.
Her legacy as a woman ahead of her time serves as an exciting inspiration to us all. And so, as we pause to enjoy Thanksgiving, let’s take a moment to give thanks to this incredible woman from my hometown of Newport – and extend our heartfelt thanks to Mrs. Hale!
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