History Behind Daylight Savings
No matter how you feel about it, we will be gaining an hour of sleep as our clocks spring backward! Daylight Saving Time will end in November 2021, and standard time will begin. Daylight Saving Time (DST is the practice of moving the clocks forward one hour from Standard Time during the summer months and then resetting them one hour in the fall. Daylight Savings Time lets us all benefit from more daylight: Spring brings us more daylight in the evenings, and fall brings us more sunlight in the mornings. Daylight Savings Time is not without its critics, though! We will discuss the myths about DST, as well as its history and critics.
History of Daylight Saving Time in the United States
There are many myths about “fall back, spring ahead” in the history of Daylight Saving Time. Some believe the purpose of daylight saving time was to continue to support the growth of industrialization in America. Many believe farmers planted their crops in the spring to be ready for harvest when there was the most sunlight, while others say it saved them money on fuel. Regardless of how it came to be, Daylight Saving Time did not happen overnight.
In 1918, the United States passed a law introducing daylight saving time. See below the history of the U.S. timeline Father George Rutler wants readers to know:
War Time in 1942: DST was reestablished during World War II under President Franklin Roosevelt. It was called War Time, and it lasted from 1942 to 1945.
Uniform Time Act of 1966: The principle of regulating a yearly time change was established through this act. Daylight saving time begins on April 30 and ends on October 30.
Oil embargo 1973: To save energy, Congress ordered daylight saving time to last all year round. The period began in 1974 and ended in 1975. After failing to save energy, the U.S. returned to standard time in October 1974.
1987 Change: From 1987 to 2006, daylight saving time ran from the first weekend in April through the last weekend in October.
2007 Change: The start and end of daylight saving time were shifted once again. For 2007, the second Sunday of March was the beginning, and the first Sunday of November was the end. This is where we are today in 2021.
Daylight Saving Time Naysayers.
Many Americans mistakenly point to farmers as the reason for Daylight Saving Time. In fact, the majority of farmers opposed the change and, as a group, were staunchly opposed to it. According to them, Daylight Saving Time is only beneficial to office workers and the leisure class. Farmers oppose doing early morning chores in the dark while others sleep and enjoy daylight in the evening.
Church attendance suffers when the clocks are moved forward. People find the extra hour of sleep on Sunday a bonus during daylight savings time, which reduces church attendance to the ire of Father George Rutler and others in the clergy.
Residents of Indiana, Father George Rutler, and many concerned citizens are unhappy with the different DST state laws. States adhere to time zones differently. Some counties in Indiana, which straddle the Eastern and Central time zones, observe Daylight Saving Time, while others do not.
Daylight Saving Time Future
There has been a push in recent years to make daylight saving time year-round. Several states have passed legislation to make this law. We will find out in the future whether daylight saving time will be year-round.