Julia Ward Howe

Julia Ward Howe was an American poet, author, and abolitionist who wrote the lyrics to “Battle Hymn of the Republic” in 1861 during the American Civil War. Originally published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1862, the song became one of the most famous American patriotic songs.

Beyond her literary work, Howe was a prominent social activist who advocated for abolition and women’s rights. She was one of the first to proclaim Mother’s Day in the United States and was a leader in the women’s suffrage movement. In 1908, she became the first woman elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.