▁ ▁First ▁attempts ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁hol iday ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁women ' s ▁peace ▁groups ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁tried ▁to ▁establish ▁hol id ays ▁and ▁regular ▁activities ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁peace ▁and ▁against ▁war . ▁A ▁common ▁early ▁activity ▁was ▁the ▁meeting ▁of ▁groups ▁of ▁moth ers ▁whose ▁sons ▁had ▁fought ▁or ▁died ▁on ▁opposite ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁Ann ▁Jar vis , ▁Anna ▁Jar vis ' s ▁mother , ▁organ ised ▁a ▁committee ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁" M other ' s ▁Friend ship ▁Day ", ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁" to ▁reun ite ▁families ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁divided ▁during ▁the ▁Civil ▁War ." ▁Ann ▁Jar vis , ▁who ▁had ▁previously ▁organized ▁Mother ' s ▁Day ▁Work ▁Club s ▁to ▁improve ▁san itation ▁and ▁health ▁for ▁both ▁Union ▁and ▁Confeder ate ▁enc amp ments ▁under going ▁a ▁ty ph oid ▁out break , ▁wanted ▁to ▁expand ▁these ▁into ▁an ▁annual ▁mem orial ▁for ▁moth ers , ▁but ▁she ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 5 ▁before ▁the ▁annual ▁celebr ation ▁was ▁established . ▁Her ▁daughter , ▁who ▁became ▁almost ▁obs essed ▁with ▁her , ▁would ▁continue ▁her ▁mother ' s ▁efforts . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁several ▁limited ▁observ ances ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁but ▁none ▁achieved ▁reson ance ▁beyond ▁the ▁local ▁level . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁Protest ant ▁schools ▁in