America Must Pray - Sarah Josepha Hale

Mrs. Hale was widowed at thirty-four with five small children. Nonetheless she pursued a career in writing and publishing. Gifted and talented, and a hard worker, she quickly became America’s first female editor. She acquired in 1828 the Ladies’ Magazine and Godey’s Lady’s Book. These became formidable publications for the first half of the nineteenth century.

Besides having general articles of interest for her women readers, Mrs. Hale used these periodicals to advance prayers, needed spiritual articles, and topical opinions to a highly diverse mass readership. Deeply religious, Mrs. Hale had a tremendous influence on women in America. She helped finance the all-female Vassar College, which today, as with most older schools, has gone south into socialism and liberalism!

Committed also to children’s work, Mrs. Hale founded the first nursery schools. She wrote a book of nursery rhymes which included the well-known "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Millions of children were raised up on this volume entitled Poems for Our Children, published in 1830. Mrs. Hale inspired Abraham Lincoln to institute Thanksgiving. He found Hale to be an inspiration, remembering how the widow with five children had turned tragedy into such an accomplished life. Hale had tried for many years to impress upon the public of the importance of such a gesture. She wrote in 1858: "Would it not be more noble, more truly American, to become national in unity when we offer God our tribute of joy and gratitude for the blessings of the year" with a Thanksgiving celebration?