Article by Heidi Stonehill, 4/1/2024
Ann Reeves Jarvis
Known as “Mother Jarvis,” Ann Reeves Jarvis was a young Appalachian homemaker who taught Sunday school lessons. She was also a lifelong activist who, in the mid-1800s, organized “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” in West Virginia to combat unsanitary living conditions. Reeves Jarvis was concerned about the high infant mortality rate, especially pervasive in Appalachia, and wanted to educate and help mothers who needed it the most.
During the Civil War, Mother Jarvis had also organized women’s brigades, encouraging women to help without regard for which side their men had chosen. After the war, she proposed a Mothers’ Friendship Day to promote peace between former Union and Confederate families.
Julia Ward Howe
Julia Ward Howe was a famous poet
Mother’s Day actually began as a women’s movement to better the lives of Americans. Its forgotten origins spring from two lifelong activists who championed efforts toward better health, welfare, and peace. Know your Mother’s Day history—and get inspired.
Who Invented Mother’s Day?
The creation of a national Mother’s Day is primarily attributed to three women: Ann Reeves Jarvis, Julia Ward Howe, and Ann’s daughter, Anna M. Jarvis.