Notes from the Archives: Memorial Day in Boston
On May 30, 1868, Bostonians observed the country’s first Memorial Day.
After the Civil War, local veterans’ organizations in both the North and South began decorating the graves of fallen soldiers. In 1868, General John Logan, of the Grand Army of the Republic, the veterans’ organization of the Union Army, called for a national “Decoration Day.” This day would be dedicated to honoring deceased soldiers. May 30 was chosen because flowers were in bloom, making it easy to decorate soldiers’ graves.
Veterans’ organizations were an important part of American cultural and political life following the Civil War. More than three million men enlisted and fought in the Civil War. Veterans’ organizations provided emotional support and camaraderie for veterans. They also advocated for beneficial legislation and policies, such as soldiers' pensions. In Massachusetts, veterans of the Union Army joined the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), which had posts in almost every Massachusetts town. You can see sample pages from the 1892 directory of the GAR above.
In Boston, the GAR took the lead in organizing Memorial Day activities. At the City Archives, our files about Memorial Day document the GAR’s heavy involvement in organizing Memorial Day commemorations. This 1889 letter, for example, invited Boston’s Mayor and City Council to Memorial Day commemorations at Forest Hills Cemetery and the Thomas Stevenson Post.
How will you commemorate Memorial Day this year?
