From May 31st (Memorial Day) until July 4th (Independence Day) Americans have four significant dates to assist us in remembering our history, heritage and freedoms. Three of which are observed national holidays today. How can you make these dates and holidays meaningful to your family? Do you know what we are celebrating, and can you convey the history and significance to your children? Below are some notes and book recommendations to help!
- May 31st – Memorial Day – We remember those who have served our country and paid the ultimate sacrifice in doing so.
- June 14th – Flag Day – commemorates the adoption of the official US flag
- June 19th – Juneteenth – the date the last slaves were freed in the southern state of Texas
- July 4th – Independence Day – Congress unanimously adopts and signs the Declaration of Independence stating our intentions to separate from British rule
We’ve strolled down memory lane, shared some ideas for possible things to look into and included some of our favorite books to help you and your family learn and remember the importance of each of these dates and the people that made them possible.
Memorial Day – May 31st
I remember every year as a child visiting the graves of my ancestors on Memorial Day. It was the one day every year that extended family came from all over the state and beyond to visit the cemetery in our little town. I’d reacquaint great aunts and uncles and second, third and fourth cousins. Mom would get our plastic flowers from the basement, dust them off, and we’d take them to the grave sites of her parents and siblings and lay them on the stones. (Probably not ideal flowers looking back!) My favorite part was always the 21-gun salute and solemn reverence as Taps was played by a bugle. I still tear up every time I hear them.
Look up the ceremonies hosted by your local cemetery and take the family for a truly memorable experience. Take your time and look at the gravestones. Imagine what kind of life the person buried below must have led. How old were they when they left this world behind? Pay attention to the messages of love and endearment inscribed on the headstones. What kind of legacy did this person leave behind? Who is missing them? What do you want to be remembered for, and what do you want inscribed on your headstone?
Below are some of our favorite books to help set the tone of this day and truly remember those that have gone before us. We each have a story – you, your parents, your parents’ parents and on and on. This is also a great time of year to pull out your family photo albums, family histories, pedigrees, journals and anything else you have to remember those who came before you. Which of your grandparents are still living? When was the last time you visited with them? If you haven’t started a family history or journal, today is a great place to begin, and interviewing your grandparents and recording their stories is something you’ll treasure forever.
Twenty-One Steps – Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
(ages 7-10) Twenty-One Steps beautifully illustrates the importance of remembering with respect and reverence those who have paid the ultimate price for the freedoms we enjoy today. Help our little ones understand and know about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery and the dedicated memorials and rituals that take place in Arlington, Virginia to help us all remember.
The Wall
(ages 7-10) a tender experience as a young boy and his dad visit the Vietnam Memorial to see the name of loved one
The Poppy Lady
(ages 7-11) read about how the poppy flower came to be a symbol for Memorial Day and the lady behind it . . .Flag Day – June 14th
Flag Day is not an official national holiday, but is an official state holiday in Pennsylvania. Many states like to celebrate flag day. Any day that helps us remember the human spirit and desire for independence and freedom to become our best and achieve our dreams is an occasion worth remembering in our book!
Make some flag art! The possibilities are endless . . . watercolor, collage, crayons, paints, playdough, fabrics . . . if you can think it, you can make it!
Here are some books to help you and your littles get the most out of Flag Day as well as upcoming Independence Day. Learn about the history of our flag and how it inspired our national anthem. Did you know we don’t know for certain who designed our flag? There are at least two different women credited with this accomplishment. Maybe it was a team effort? Check out some of these books!
Stars and Stripes – The Story of the American Flag
(ages 4-8) Beautiful illustrations carry us through the story of our country’s flag including its inspiration for Francis Scott Key’s “Star Spangled Banner” and symbol for unity even during the Civil War and 911.
America’s Flag Story
(ages 2-8) This is a book that can grow with your littles. The simple text and beautiful illustrations of the main story are simple enough to engage a toddler. As they grow, they can appreciate the pictures of the many changes to the flag and how to cut a 5-point star and more!
Long May She Wave – The True Story of Carole Pickersgill and Her Star-Spangled Creation
(ages 4-8) Carole Pickersgill is one of the women credited with the design and creation of our first American flag. Find out more about some of her story in this simple book.
By the Dawn’s Early Light – The Story of the Star Spangled Banner
(ages 5-10) Do you know the story of the Star Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key? Did you know he wrote it while being prisoner on a British ship off the east coast while helplessly watching his country get attacked? Get behind the scenes and into the heart of our national anthem.
Betsy Ross
(ages 3-6) Learn more about the details of one of the women credited with designing and creating our nation’s flag. Enjoy these sweet, unique images created with fabric.
F is for Flag
(ages 3-6) This isn’t your typical ABC book as it doesn’t go through the alphabet. Rather it’s a simple patriotic book perfect for any young child learning the letter F or getting introduced to our American flag and how our country came to be.Juneteenth – June 19th
Juneteenth is our newest national holiday remembering the date the last of the southern slaves were finally free! Here is a simple timeline of events around Juneteenth and the Civil War to get a better idea of context and what is being celebrated.
- Civil War Begins: April 12, 1861 – Civil War officially begins as shots are fired at Fort Sumter in South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor. Tensions had been building up for many years prior to this date.
- Emancipation Proclamation: January 1, 1863 – President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves in rebellious Confederate states (decisions regarding slavery were still left up to loyal border states as a state right – Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland and Missouri)
- Civil War Ends: April 9, 1865 – Civil War ends with surrender of Robert E Lee to Ulysses S Grant at the Appomattox Court House in Appomattox, Virginia
- Lincoln Assassinated: April 15, 1865 – Lincoln is assassinated in Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC
- Juneteenth: June 19, 1865 – Union soldiers arrive in Galveston, Texas getting the word to the most western slavery frontier of the time that the war was over and slavery had ended, beginning the release of the last of the southern slaves.
- 13th Amendment: December 6, 1865 – 13th Amendment is ratified officially ending all slavery in the United States of America
- Civil War End Formally Declared: August 20, 1866 – President Andrew Johnson declares a formal end to the Civil War
And here are some books that bring a personal perspective . . .
All Different Now – Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom
(ages 5-9) Experience the first “Juneteenth” through the eyes of a young girl who lived it in this picture book with beautiful watercolor illustrations. Everything is all different now . . . because one day changed everything.
Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth
(ages 6-8) A grandmother shares the story of her childhood in slavery and eventual freedom to a group of young children at a celebration. She also shares her experiences under the laws of Jim Crow and how “good and bad work together like sun and rain.” We hope you’ll enjoy her quoteworthy phrases and the end of the book when children of all skin tones embrace and celebrate together – just how Martin Luther envisioned it.Independence Day – July 4th
On July 4, 1776 it became official in writing, and agreed upon, that we would be breaking up with Britain. Less than a month later on August 2, 1776 the document would be applied to parchment and signed by the delegates. We would be more free to determine our own processes and outcomes. Along with our festive gatherings of barbeques and firework celebrations, may we all reflect on how it all began for us as a free nation.
Take time to consider and discuss what you appreciate about our founding documents. Read through the Declaration of Independence and think how life would be different for us without it.
Below are some of our book picks to help understand the people that made it happen and the series of events culminating to this momentous event more than 200 years ago.
The 4th of July Story
(ages 5-9) Originally published in 1959 with illustrations to match the time period . . . enjoy a summary of the events that made our independence possible including the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Thomas Jefferson: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Everything
(ages 5-8) Learn about the primary author of the Declaration of Independence in this colorfully illustrated book.
Will you sign here, John Hancock?
(ages 7-9) You’re going to love the personality and humor in this book! It really brings the larger-than-life-BIG-signer of the Declaration of Independence, John Hancock, to life.
Can’t you make them behave, King George?
(ages 7-9) Jean Fritz does it again with another clever and well researched book of our nation’s historical events. This time it’s our break up with King George.
A Picture Book of Samuel Adams
(ages 4-8) Read about the man referred to as the “Father of the American Revolution.”
A Picture Book of John and Abigail Adams
(ages 4-8) John and Abigail made a great team and were possibly the most stable functioning married duo in American politics. With their treasured letters of correspondence over the years we have an intimate glimpse into their relationship and work as founders for the United States of America.
Those Rebels, John and Tom
(ages 7-10) Find out how two opposites (John Adams and Thomas Jefferson) worked together in spite of their differences.
I Am Benjamin Franklin
(ages 5-8) This little book is a great introduction to one of our Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin. With it’s vibrant comic style illustrations and simple text, you’ll know a little more about Benjamin’s many contributions to our nation and society in the fields of authorship, science, politics and more.May we always remember those that paved the way for us to have the freedoms we have today.
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