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Ever since the
days of Priscilla Mullins of the Mayflower, New England has
been home to feminine, gracious and inexorable women.
One such woman, Sarah Josepha Buell Hale, can be called the
“Godmother of Thanksgiving.”
Sarah Josepha Buell was born in New Hampshire in 1788.
She and her siblings were schooled at home.
In her
autobiographical foreword in The Ladies’ Wreath of 1837,
she noted that
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”I owe my early predilection for literary pursuits to the
teaching and example of my mother.
She had enjoyed uncommon advantages of education for a
female of her times – possessed a mind clear as rock-water,
and a most happy talent of communicating knowledge.” |
| A voracious reader of whatever books were available, Sarah noticed that |
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”of all the books I saw, few were written by Americans, and
none by women “ |
| and she was inspired, at a very early
age, to |
| “promote the reputation of my own sex, and do
something for my own country.” |
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| The Ladies Wreath
(Boston: Marsh, Capen & Lyon, 1837) was one of a number of
"gift books" of uplifting poetry for women that Sarah edited throughout her long career. |
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Sarah’s brother, Horatio Gates Buell, was schooled at home with her.
Unlike Sarah, however, Horatio could go to college.
He shared his Dartmouth textbooks with his sister, Sarah noting
that
| “he seemed very unwilling that I should be deprived of all his
collegiate advantages.” |
This self-educated young woman began teaching school at age 18.
She also began, in her spare time, to write poetry.
After six years of independent living, she married David Hale,
a lawyer with strong literary interests of his own
and an appreciation for his bride’s intelligence.
Sarah described their home life
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”
We commenced, soon after our marriage, a system of study and reading
which we pursued while he lived.
The hours allowed were from eight o’clock in the evening till
ten; two hours in the twenty-four: how I enjoyed those hours!
In all our mental pursuits, it seemed the aim of my husband to
enlighten my reason, - strengthen my judgment, and give me confidence
in my own powers of mind, which he estimated much higher than I.
But this approbation which he bestowed on my talents has been
of great encouragement to me in attempting the duties that have since
become my portion.”
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This idyllic life ended after only 9 years. In 1822, David Hale died of a stroke, leaving Sarah with 5
children; the oldest was 7 and the youngest was born two weeks after
David’s death. Sarah
was 34.
David Hale did not leave a large estate.
Sarah now had 5 children – 3 sons and 2 daughters - to raise
on her own, to educate and prepare for life.
How was she to do this?
Sarah considered deeply and decided that the
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“very few employments in which females can engage with any hope of
profit, and my own constitution and pursuits, made literature appear
my best resource. I
prepared a small volume of Poems, mostly written before my husband’s
decease; these were published, by the aid of the Free Masons, of which
order he was a distinguished member.”
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Her second book of poetry, Poems
for Our Children, published in 1830, contained one of the most famous
poems in the English language - “Mary
Had a Little Lamb.”
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