History of Christmas and Those Who Helped in its Development ~ Part Four

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During the Civil War people relied on newspapers as the primary source of information. Harper's Weekly was an illustrated newspaper that looked more like a magazine. During the war, it was one of the most popular papers because it let those who couldn't read still get part of the story because of the images. In 1862 Thomas Nast had been hired by Harper's Weekly as an illustrator. He had come to America when he was 6 and began illustrating what he thought and felt. By 15 he was working as an illustrator. At this time civic pride was at an all-time low. Battles were getting bloody and the Union wasn't doing very well. The people needed hope and Nast was there to give it to them. He used Christmas and Santa Claus to uplift the spirits of the fighting men and those of their families at home. He draws a picture of Santa Claus down in the trenches alongside soldiers in the war. This made the people see the soldiers happy visiting Santa Claus. On the January 1863 edition of Harper's Weekly Nast had done a picture of Santa arriving at a military post with gifts for the soldiers that surrounded him. He portrays Santa as a very patriotic character with stars on his jacket and stripes on his shirt. How can you lose with Santa on your side? In 1866 Nast does a picture that reveals where Santa lives. A mysterious place called the North Pole. In 1870 President Ulleyes S. Grant declared Christmas as a federal holiday. He is a family man and wants the country to heal from all the ugliness of the war.