May 19, 2009

Historian remembers Memorial Day's beginnings

Caroline E. Janney
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"Credit really goes to thousands of Southern white women who were honoring Confederate soldiers a year after the Civil War ended," says Caroline E. Janney, an assistant professor of history. "The women led these celebrations because if Confederate men would have organized memorials in 1866, just after the war ended, their actions would have been considered treason.

"Instead, women planned each event, and the men were figuratively hiding behind the skirts of these women. What many people didn't realize is that these women, who are often portrayed as politically indifferent, were keeping politics in mind while planning these events."

In addition to remembering those lost, the annual occasions also allowed participants to criticize the postwar government and praise the "lost cause." Some observances were scheduled on symbolic dates in Confederate history, such as the May 10 anniversary of Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's death, or April 26, the day Gen. Joseph E. Johnston surrendered his troops in 1865.

In the spring of 1866 and the years after, dozens of Memorial Day events were organized by Ladies' Memorial Associations. While Memorial Day is now a one-day celebration, historically these memorials were scheduled throughout the spring as a sign of renewal and rebirth, says Janney, who is author of "Burying the Dead but Not the Past: Ladies Memorial Associations and the Lost Cause."

In 1968 the federal government passed a bill that moved Memorial Day to be the last Monday in May.

"People should have a better understanding about the origins of Memorial Day because the Civil War secured the Union and freed 4 million slaves," Janney says. "The day should not only be about celebrating the lives of servicemen and women, but also celebrating the perseverance of the United States."

Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Source: Caroline E. Janney, cjanney@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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