How Cremation Became Accepted in America and the West

Today more Americans choose cremation than burial. A hundred and fifty years ago, almost no one did, and the first cremation made national news. This article explains how that changed.

Why did cremation fade in the West?

Because of religion and law. A review of historian Stephen Prothero’s book says that by the fourth century cremation was quite rare in the West, and that in the eighth century Charlemagne declared it a capital offense. Christianity favored burial, in part because of belief in the resurrection of the body. For centuries, the practice nearly disappeared from Christian Europe.

When was the first modern cremation in America?

December 6, 1876, in Washington, Pennsylvania. The Cremation Association of North America (CANA) reports that Dr. Francis Julius LeMoyne built the first crematory there, and that the first cremation, of a man named Baron De Palm, drew journalists and spectators from across the nation. De Palm had died in May of that year, and Prothero’s account says the cremation was delayed by legal hurdles and by the difficulty of finding a crematory. CANA says there were two recorded cremations in North America before 1800. LeMoyne’s crematory was used only about 40 more times before the family closed it in 1901.

Why did anyone want cremation?

Largely for public health. The Christian Century review says early supporters argued that cremation was a sanitary precaution against disease, and quotes the president of the New York Cremation Society calling the crematory the only never-failing germicide. Others saw it as modern, simple, and economical. But the practice stayed rare. CANA notes that by 1913, when its founders organized the Cremation Association, there were only 52 crematories in North America and just over 10,000 cremations that year.

What changed in the 1960s?

The Catholic Church lifted its ban. CANA reports that in May 1963 the Church reversed its centuries-long prohibition on cremation, opening the option to more than 43 million Catholics in the United States, though with caveats. Prothero’s account adds that burial is still the Church’s preference, and that since 1997 U.S. bishops have had discretion to permit cremated remains at funeral masses. For the current rules, see Catholic Funeral Traditions and Can Christians Be Cremated?.

How fast did the rate rise?

Slowly at first, then quickly. CANA says that after nearly a hundred years, the U.S. cremation rate reached 5 percent in 1973. The Christian Century review notes that it stagnated below 5 percent for nearly a century. The National Funeral Directors Association reported that 57 percent of Americans who died in 2021 chose cremation, and projects a rate of 63.4 percent for 2025, with burial at 31.6 percent.

How does the United States compare with other countries?

It was playing catch-up. The Observer-Reporter, citing industry figures, says cremation is nearly universal in Japan and about 77 percent in Britain. It also credits the rise partly to religious bans being lifted, and partly to wealthy nations becoming more secular and mobile. For the business side, see The Death Care Industry in America, and for how to choose, Direct Cremation vs. Cremation With a Service.