The Real History of Memorial Day: What You Weren’t Taught in School
By Eric F Gilbert | EFGilbert.com
When most Americans think of Memorial Day, they picture backyard barbecues, big sales, and a long weekend at the beach. Some remember that it’s meant to honor fallen soldiers. But few know the real story behind how Memorial Day began—or how complicated that story truly is.
More Than Just a Long Weekend
Memorial Day is a federal holiday that honors U.S. military personnel who died in service to their country. It became an official national holiday in 1971, observed on the last Monday of May. But its roots go far deeper—into the ashes of the Civil War, and into communities that history has often overlooked.
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Confederate Widows and Southern Mourning
After the Civil War ended in 1865, Southern women—particularly widows of Confederate soldiers—began holding annual events to decorate the graves of their fallen.
One of the earliest documented ceremonies was on April 26, 1866, in Columbus, Georgia, where women placed flowers on the graves of both Confederate and Union soldiers.
These grassroots efforts—led by women across the South—became known as “Decoration Days.” In many cases, they were organized by local Ladies’ Memorial Associations, created specifically to care for and remember the Confederate dead.
In truth, the South had multiple Decoration Days, often based on the day a particular state had surrendered or experienced a major battle.
These women weren’t just mourning—they were also preserving a cultural identity and honoring their version of history. For them, decorating graves was both emotional and political.
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The Overlooked Ceremony by Freed Slaves
But here’s a truth rarely taught: The first large-scale Memorial Day-type ceremony in the U.S. was organized not by white Southerners, but by freed Black Americans.
On May 1, 1865—just weeks after the Civil War ended—formerly enslaved people in Charleston, South Carolina, held a public funeral and tribute for Union soldiers who had died in a Confederate prison camp.
Here’s what they did:
Exhumed a mass grave of Union soldiers and gave them proper burials
Built a fence and an archway around the new cemetery
Held a public event with 10,000 participants, including 3,000 Black children
Sang hymns, read prayers, and placed flowers on the graves
Ended with a parade led by Black Union troops
This extraordinary event, described by Yale historian David Blight, may have been the earliest true Memorial Day in spirit—even if it wasn’t recognized by the government.
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The Union’s Official Response: Decoration Day
In 1868, Union General John A. Logan—head of a veterans group—declared May 30th as Decoration Day, a time to honor Union soldiers only.
He picked the date because flowers would be in bloom across the country, and ceremonies quickly became widespread in the North.
Over time, more states adopted the tradition, and after World War I, the day expanded to include all Americans who died in war, not just those from the Civil War.
So Who Really Started Memorial Day?
Here’s the full truth:
Freed Black Americans in Charleston held the earliest known large public tribute in 1865
Confederate widows and women’s groups popularized grave-decorating traditions across the South, starting in 1866
Union veterans institutionalized the holiday as Decoration Day in 1868
The U.S. government made it a national holiday in 1971, shifting the focus to all fallen service members
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Why It Matters
History is rarely black-and-white. Memorial Day wasn’t born in one place, by one person. It grew out of grief, identity, and competing visions of the past.
By remembering all parts of the story—including the role of freedmen and Southern women—we gain a deeper respect for what this holiday really means.
So as you fire up the grill or enjoy the sunshine, take a moment to reflect—not just on the soldiers who gave their lives, but on the complicated, human history behind the day itself.