Sarah Hale
1788-1879
Childhood
Growing up, Sarah's mother and older brother homeschooled her. Her family believed in equal education for both girls and boys.
What was happening?
There was a time in America when people began to stop celebrating Thanksgiving. By the 1800's it was close to becoming extinct! Thankfully Sarah was determined enough to try to bring back Thanksgiving!
Making A Differnece
Sarah wanted to bring back and even make Thanksgiving a national holiday. So she wrote letters to five presidents: Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and Abraham Lincoln. Her first four letters failed but, her last letter that was sent to Abraham Lincoln ended up persuading him into supporting legislation. This later led to Thanksgiving becoming a national holiday in 1863.
Older Years
She spent the rest of her years doing charity work and supporting women’s efforts. She also pursued a career as an editor and publisher and ended up publishing nearly fifty volumes throughout her lifetime including "Mary Had A Little Lamb". Sarah later passed on out of old age.