By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
NEWPORT, N.H. — The town of Newport may be small and not too well known across the country, but the reason the nation celebrates Thanksgiving as a national holiday was due to the determined letter writing of its most famous resident, Sarah Josepha Hale.
Hale wrote the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” but she has another claim to fame as she is often referred to as the “Mother of Thanksgiving.”
Sharon Wood of the Newport Historical Society loves to tell the story of Hale, and she and her husband Steve actually portray Hale and Lincoln in a living history presentation through NH Humanities.
Wood explained that Hale, who lived for 90 years, was born in 1788 and had a father who fought in the Revolutionary War. He had always spoken highly of George Washington in her youth, and Hale developed a strong sense of patriotism.
“She loved the country and rallied for a lot of causes,” Wood said.
Hale grew up in Newport and later became a teacher, but once she married, she stopped as that’s what occurred during those times for women. Wood pointed out that she had an unusual education. She was schooled at home by her mother, but her brother Horatio went to Dartmouth. He would bring his books home, and they would study together and acknowledged that Hale had earned a degree as much as he had.
Hale had a talent for writing, and she had works published in newspapers and magazines including the local publications. She went on to write a novel called “Northwood” based on her childhood in her hometown of Newport, and it was published in 1827.
Wood said that Hale began lobbying for Thanksgiving to become a holiday shortly after, as she saw the country “marching down the road toward war.”
“She hoped that by showing that all Americans are brothers, people would step away from their differences,” Wood said. “Coming together for a national Thanksgiving dinner would unite the whole country.”
This was 20 years before Harriet Beecher Stowe would write “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” which many believe precipitated the Civil War. Wood said she wrote her book and had great hopes that anyone who read it would agree with her.
“She had a three-page long description of a Thanksgiving dinner in that book,” Wood said. “I quote her, ‘roast turkey with stuffing of course, roast beef, lamb, goose, duckling, and of course, chicken pie. Platters of vegetables, gravy, pickles, preserves, butter.’ As if butter was a specialty. Pumpkin pie is indispensable for a meal like this. The list goes on and on.”
Wood said about 30 years after writing her book, she returned to her hometown of Newport to celebrate the town’s 80th anniversary. Previously Hale had gone off to Boston and Philadelphia but was invited back to Newport along with other past residents. This gathering served as a source of inspiration.
“When she saw how people came together from all parts of the country in peace and goodwill, she was more determined than ever to get that Thanksgiving holiday,” Wood said. “She wrote letters to congressmen and senators and started a letter writing campaign through her magazine.”
Hale wrote editorials in her magazine, “Godey’s Lady’s Book” every year to promote a national Thanksgiving, so she was literally working on it for three decades, Wood said. Wood said she wrote to Presidents Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanen before Lincoln finally signed the proclamation, with Wood saying the main hold up was that the other presidents saw it as a state issue for the governor to set.
“She wanted it on the last day of November every year, and she wanted it nationally and yearly,” Wood said. “Taylor wanted to let states deal with it and Fillmore didn’t bother answering her letter.”
One would think that Pierce might take kindly to her requests being a fellow Granite Stater, but that wasn’t the case as he ignored it. Buchanen also showed no interest, but then Lincoln stepped up and finally took her advice and heeded her proposed idea.
This year the Old Farmer’s Almanac has even put out a call to the nation to take time to recognize her for her letters that she wrote to President Lincoln, which ultimately resulted in him declaring it a holiday in 1863.
N.H. House Speaker Sherman Packard also issued a proclamation honoring Hale for her efforts, and also recognize the town of Newport for its role in celebrating Thanksgiving nationally.
“Whereas, the town of Newport is proud to recognize its most famous resident and commemorate her efforts — not just as the “Mother of Thanksgiving”— but also as an accomplished author, activist and editor,” the proclamation stated.
It continued, “And declared, that the New Hampshire House of Representatives does give its highest accolades and plaudits to Sarah Josepha Hale for championing this holiday known for being a time to reflect and give thanks for the many blessings in our lives; and be it further declared, by virtue of my signature inscribed below, the New Hampshire House of Representatives acknowledges Newport, the home of Sarah Josepha Hale, and its historic connection to the birth of Thanksgiving.”
