Mother’s Day was initiated during the Civil War by two moms who wanted to recognize the sacrifices and efforts made by mothers in their homes, and after years of campaigning, it became a national holiday in the US in 1914. 

The creation of Mother’s Day was initiated during the Civil War by two moms – Ann Reeves Jarvis and Julia Ward Howe – who were tired of seeing their sons and fathers die in the war. Jarvis established “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to provide aid to soldiers from both sides of the war, while Howe called for a “Mother’s Day for Peace” to end war and celebrate peace. After the war, Jarvis and her daughter Anna campaigned to create a national Mother’s Day to honor the sacrifices and efforts made by mothers in their homes. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a law designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. Despite the commercialization of the holiday, its purpose was to recognize and honor the act of being a mother. 

Source: https://www.military.com/history/how-civil-war-moms-inspired-creation-of-mothers-day.html