In my newly available in print time travel romance, Thoroughly Modern Amanda, both the heroine and her step-mother are writers in late nineteenth century America.
Many women worked as writers in the late nineteenth century, either as newspaper reporters, magazine writers or novelists. One such women is Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book.
Born in 1788, Sarah J. Buell, grew up on a farm in New Hampshire. Her early education was limited as she was taught by her mother. But in later years, her brother, Horatio, who was a student at Dartmouth, started her on a course of self study.
Sarah married David Hale, a lawyer, who supported her continued education. The couple started a literary club and Sarah experimented with writing. When David died unexpectedly of pneumonia in 1822, Sarah set up a millinery business with her sister, Hannah, with the assistance of David’s Masonic colleagues. Sarah also published a book of poems with their aid, allowing her to leave the millinery business to write a novel.
Northwood met with success. The novel dealt directly with the timely issue of slavery.
Impressed by the book, the Reverend John Lauris Blake, an Episcopal minister and headmaster of the Cornhill School for Young Ladies, offered Sarah the editorship of a new magazine for women. Sarah left four of her five children to be taken in by relatives so she could relocate to Boston to pursue a career as an editor.
The Ladies Magazine and Literary Gazette was an American magazine, changing its name to American Ladies Magazine in 1834. Sarah saw the magazine as a platform to educate women. She wrote half of the contents of the magazine herself and all contributions were original works. Over the thirteen years she served as editor, she involved herself in social causes, including the Seaman’s Aid Society, fundraising for the Bunker Hill Monument and other education related causes.
Economic difficulties threatened the magazine in the late 1830’s, despite its success. Godey approached Sarah in 1836 to edit his Lady’s Book, but she wanted to continue working on her own publication and declined his offer. He then offered to buy her magazine, installing her as editor of the combined publication. She agreed, continuing to live in Boston, then moving to Philadelphia in 1841.
She continued to work toward the advancement of women, supporting Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell to fight her way into the male medical establishment. She also worked to support women who wanted to work as overseas missionaries and raised funds to preserve Mount Vernon. In addition, she lent aid to install female instructors in the new Vassar College.
Although Sarah didn’t heed the suffragist’s call for women to enter the political arena, she did continue her fight for women’s rights throughout her life. She was editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book until 1877, when the magazine was sold.
She died in 1879 at the age of ninety-one.
For more info on Sarah Josepha Hale, visit these sites:
http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/godey/hale.html
http://www.womenwriters.net/domesticgoddess/hale1.html
http://www.librarycompany.org/women/portraits/hale.htm
Thoroughly Modern Amanda is available from The Wild Rose Press http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=176_135&products_id=5074
And Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thoroughly-modern-amanda-susan-macatee/1114008539?ean=2940016112596
All Romance Ebooks https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thoroughlymodernamanda-1026307-141.html
And also in print from The Wild Rose Press and Amazon
Fascinating, Susan. I can’t imagine leaving my children to have a career. I don’t think I would have chosen the same path, but I impressed by everything she accomplished, especially so at the period in time.
Very interesting piece, Susan. I only know the Godey’s Lady’s Book from its fashion plates, several of which I used to have framed on my wall. Who’d have thought an early Women’s Lib pioneer was behind them?
She was one determined woman – so nice to hear about a strong female in the arts.
Lovely blog. I always applaud females who succeeded during this difficult time when women were told to stay home and have babies.
Thanks for stopping by, everyone! I love having real women from history to model my romance heroines on.