Which war most directly prompted the creation of the U.S. holiday that became Memorial Day?

The American Civil War most directly prompted the creation of the U.S. holiday that became Memorial Day.

The war produced an unprecedented number of military deaths and left cemeteries across the country filled with recently buried soldiers. After the conflict, communities began holding springtime ceremonies to decorate graves and remember the dead. These observances were commonly called Decoration Day.

The holiday’s scope later expanded beyond Civil War soldiers to include Americans who died in all U.S. wars. That broader meaning is why Memorial Day is not the same as a Civil War anniversary. It is also different from Veterans Day, which honors all U.S. military veterans, living or dead, rather than focusing primarily on those who died during service.