Historical Reading Series (Simplified) Name: ___________________________ Date: _________

THE ORIGINS OF REMEMBRANCE

From Decoration Day to Memorial Day

"To honor soldiers who died for their country, regular people came together to clean up cemeteries and place beautiful spring flowers on graves."

1. A Broken Nation Heals

In the spring of 1865, the American Civil War finally ended. It was a terrible war that divided the country and left hundreds of thousands of soldiers dead. Families were deeply sad and wanted a way to remember their lost loved ones. In towns across the country, both in the North and the South, people began gathering in cemeteries. They cleaned up weeds and covered the graves of soldiers with fresh spring flowers. This kind, simple act of sharing flowers helped the hurt nation begin to heal together.

2. The Birth of Decoration Day

Soon, these local flower traditions became official. On May 5, 1868, a Union veteran named General John A. Logan made a special order. He declared May 30 as a national day to decorate the graves of soldiers who died in the war. He named this new holiday "Decoration Day." He chose May 30 because it was not the date of any specific battle, and because flowers would be growing and ready to pick all over the country. On that first official Decoration Day, thousands of people visited Arlington National Cemetery to place flowers on graves.

3. The Birthplace of the Holiday

Many towns claimed they started the holiday first, but the government made it official in 1966. President Lyndon B. Johnson declared Waterloo, New York, as the true birthplace of Memorial Day. In Waterloo, the holiday was special because the whole town took part. On May 5, 1866, all the shops closed. People held parades, lowered flags to half-staff, and marched together to local cemeteries to share flowers. Waterloo showed how an entire community could come together to show respect.

4. Remembering More Heroes

At first, Decoration Day only honored soldiers who died in the Civil War. But as time went on, America fought in other big wars, like World War I. Because of this, the holiday was changed. It became a day to honor every American soldier who died fighting in any war. Over the years, people also stopped calling it "Decoration Day" and started calling it "Memorial Day." This name change showed that the holiday was a permanent way to say thank you to all fallen heroes.

5. How We Remember Today

In 1968, Congress passed a law that moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May. This gave people a long three-day weekend. Many people use this weekend to travel or have barbecues, but we must still remember why the holiday exists. To help with this, a law in the year 2000 created the National Moment of Remembrance. It asks all Americans to stop and be silent for one minute at 3:00 PM on Memorial Day. This minute of silence unites the country to think about the brave people who gave up their lives for our freedom.

Department of History & Education

Page 1 of 1

Decoration Day Passage

Decoration Day Passage

Similar Materials

Decoration Day Answer Key

Wilberto Mejias

Decoration Day Worksheet

Wilberto Mejias

Athkar and Sunan Poster

Yara Alqwaizani

كتيب أذكار النوم المطبوع

Yara Alqwaizani

Duha Prayer Reminder Card

Yara Alqwaizani

أبطال العبادة مخطط ملون للقص

Yara Alqwaizani

بطاقات أذكار بعد الصلاة

Yara Alqwaizani

One Big Takeaway Exit Ticket

ConceptX

Project Rubric

ConceptX

My Ethical Project Guide

ConceptX

Quiz Answer Key

ConceptX

Ethical Reasoning Quiz

ConceptX

Ethical Reasoning Worksheet

ConceptX

Ethical Dilemma Board Game

ConceptX

Ethical Choices Activity Sheet

ConceptX

Dilemma Talk Cards

ConceptX

Understanding Right and Wrong Reading Passage

ConceptX

Moral Lab Warm Up Sheet

ConceptX

Moral Lab Teacher Script

ConceptX

Ethical Mindsets Slides

ConceptX

Jefferson Dilemma Analysis Activity

Matthew Gaudin

Pirate Patrol Graphic Organizer

Matthew Gaudin

Barbary Conflict Reading Passage

Matthew Gaudin

Barbary Crisis Presentation

Matthew Gaudin