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In 1828, Sarah took on the editorship of the Ladies’ Magazine of
Boston, the first magazine edited for women by a woman.
The magazine featured essays, moral fiction and colored fashion
plates.
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A
hand-colored fashion plate from the
Ladies' Magazine, 1833 |
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| In 1837, the Ladies’
Magazine was united with the Lady’s Book, a magazine
published in Philadelphia by Louis Godey.
Sarah became literary editor of the magazine that would become
known as Godey’s Lady’s Book.
Under her guidance, Godey’s would become the most
widely-read magazine of the 19th century and Sarah one of
America’s most influential voices.
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A hand-colored fashion plate
from Godey's Lady's Book, 1853 |
Sarah was, by no means a feminist. “God,”
she said “has given to man
authority, to woman influence.”
A firm believer in separate spheres of activity for men and
women, she was opposed
to women’s suffrage and did not believe that most of the masculine
professions should be opened to women.
She did, however, strongly believe that the status of women should be
improved and that girls should be well educated. As she expressed in an 1856 editorial
| “The companion of man should be able thoroughly to sympathize with him and
her intellect should be as well developed as his. We do not believe in the mental inequality of the sexes, we
believe that the man and the woman have each a work to do, for which
they are specially qualified, and in which they are called to excel.
Though the work is not the same, it is equally noble, and
demands an equal exercise of capacity.”
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Sarah used her editorial position as a platform to gently but persistently
advocate for measures that she believed would improve family life in
America. Having
experienced first hand the difficulties faced by a widow raising a
family, she fought for property rights for married women and
improvements in women’s wages.
Her approach was conservative and diplomatic – Sarah realized that
the support of masculine America was vital to her success. Her 1853
book, Woman’s Record; or, sketches of all distinguished women
from “the beginning” till A.D. 1850… , is inscribed
| ”to the men of America; who show, in their laws and customs, respecting
women, ideas more just and feelings more noble than were ever evinced
by men of any other nation: may “Woman’s Record” meet the
approval of the sons of our great republic; the world will then know
the daughters are worthy of honour.”
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As editor, Sarah chose the features to be found in each monthly issue of Godey’s
Lady’s Book – stories, fashions (and the famous hand-colored Godey’s
fashion plates), recipes and household hints.
She also continued her independent writing and editing career.
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