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Julia Ward Howe, circa 1875.
Credit: Image donated by Corbis-Bettmann
In 1872, Boston social activist Julia Ward Howe, the author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," organized a "Mother’s Day for Peace," originally June 2, to honor women, peace, and motherhood. The following year, eighteen cities held Mother's Day for Peace celebrations, but the event soon died out.