Topics in Chronicling America - Memorial Day/Decoration Day

Jump to: Sample Articles

Important Dates:

• May 5, 1868. General John Logan officially proclaims Decoration Day (later known as Memorial Day), and on May 30 of that year flowers are placed on the graves of Union soldiers at Arlington Cemetery.
• 1869-1911. Northern states begin to adopt the holiday, featuring parades, speeches, and events commemorating the Civil War dead. The name of the holiday gradually changes to Memorial Day during this period.
• May 1919-1920. While Decoration/Memorial Day originally commemorated Civil War dead, newspapers begin to advocate commemoration of those killed in The Great War (World War I) and eventually all wars.

Suggested Search Strategies:

• [Try the following terms in combination, proximity, or as phrases using Search Pages in Chronicling America.] Memorial, Decoration, cemetery, Arlington, General Logan.
• It is important to use a specific date range if looking for articles for a particular event in order to narrow your results.

Sample Articles from Chronicling America:

• "Soldiers' Graves Decorated," The National Republican (Washington, DC), June 1, 1868, Page 2, Image 2, col. 4-6.
• "Memorial Day," The Charleston Daily News (Charleston, SC), May 11, 1869, Page 3, Image 3, col. 2.
• "Heaven's Justice," The Daily Phoenix (Columbia, SC), June 22, 1869, Page 3, Image 3, col. 3.
• "Decoration Day," New-York Tribune (New York, NY), May 31, 1870, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1-3.
• "Flowers on the Graves," The Sun (New York, NY), May 31, 1872, Page 2, Image 2, col. 4-5.
• "The Federal Dead, Decoration Services at all the Principal Cities Yesterday," Memphis Daily Appeal (Memphis, TN), May 31, 1872, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1-2.
• "Decoration Day," New-York Tribune (New York, NY), May 31, 1873, Page 1, Image 1, col. 6.
• "Decoration Day Memories," The National Tribune (Washington, DC), June 1, 1879, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "The New Memorial Day," The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), May 28, 1899, Page 25, Image 25, col. 1-7.
• "Flowers to Lay on the Graves of Dead Soldiers," Omaha Daily Bee (Omaha, NE), May 26, 1901, Page 17, Image 17, col. 1-4.
• "Memorial Day at our National Cemetaries," Perrysburg Journal (Perrysburg, OH), May 27, 1910, Page 6, Image 6, col. 1-3.
• "Ceremonies and Parade in Honor of Memorial Day," The Hawaiian Gazette (Honolulu, HI), May 30, 1911, Page 1, Image 1, col. 3-4.
• “Memorial Day-It’s Origin,” The Jasper News (Jasper, MO), May 29, 1919, Page 8, image 8, cols. 2-4.
• "Memorial Day," Pullman Herald (Pullman, WT), May 28, 1920, Second Section, Page 2, Image 12, col. 2-4.