The Letters I Left
Behind
Judith Sargent Murray
Papers, Letter Book 10
18th-Century Letters Transcribed and Introduced
by Bonnie Hurd Smith
Information
and Press Kit for The Letters I Left Behind: Judith Sargent Murray
Papers, Letter Book
10.
A Female Voice in
the New
Republic
In 1774, a twenty-three-year-old woman from Gloucester,
Massachusetts, determined to create a written record of her
observations, thoughts, and activities during a most pivotal time in
American history. She was a student of history who found herself
witness to a period of profound political and theological change. She
had the presence of mind and the literacy skills to document the
years between 1774 and 1818 by writing hundreds of letters to family,
friends, and leading citizens, and deliberately copying this
correspondence into blank volumes called "letter books" for future
generations.
This was no ordinary woman.
Judith Sargent Murray (1751-1820) came of age at a time when
women in the British colonies had virtually no political role. And
yet this self-educated, spirited daughter of the prominent,
civic-minded Sargent family wanted to participate. She insisted upon
it. She created a public voice for herself through her writing. When
her essay "On the Equality of the Sexes" appeared in the
Massachusetts Magazine in 1790, she became one of the earliest
voices for equality between women and men in America. She went on to
advocate for female education, economic independence, and political
power. She wrote more generally about citizenship in the new nation,
federalism, virtue, and philanthropy. What kind of society would
Americans create? Through her many published essays, Judith Sargent
Murray was a familiar and respected voice in the national
conversation.
Until recently, however, her essays were considered the only
documentation of her life. Scholars did not know that her letter
books existed until they were discovered in 1984 and published on
microfilm five years later.
The Letters I Left Behind: Letter Book 10 is part of a
multiyear project to transcribe and publish each of Judith Sargent
Murray's twenty letter books in print‚and, eventually,
electronically‚ to make this primary source material more
readily available and to restore her voice to the American story.
Published by the Judith Sargent Murray Society in conjunction with
the Curious Traveller Press. ISBN #1-892839-00-8. Printed by WordTech
Corporation. Hard cover; 479 pages; 16 pages of illustrations;
extensive index.
Contents
Foreword by the Rev. Gordon Gibson
(who found the letter books)
About the Letter Books Project
Introduction to Letter Book 10
Overview of Letter Book 10
Transcription of Letter Book 10
(letters dated from 1796-99, written from and about her home in
Boston, Mass., her "native place" of Gloucester, and travels in New
England; letters written to George Washington, John Adams, family,
friends; letters tracing the process of publishing her landmark book,
The Gleaner, that secured her place among leading essayists of
her day)
Appendices:
A: Chronology of Judith Sargent Murray
B: Biographical Introduction
C: Recipients of the Letters
D: Dedication of The Gleaner to John Adams
E: Subscribers to The Gleaner
Bibliography
Subscribers to The Letters I Left Behind, Letter Book 10
Index
Sample
Letters
Letter 581
Written October 10, 1796 to John Murray's mother in London about a
day in the life of five-year-old Julia Maria Murray, Judith's
daughter.
Letter 592
Written in November 1796 to George Washington asking him to subscribe
to The Gleaner. He agreed.
Letter 783
Written October 30, 1798 to Judith's sister, Esther Sargent Ellery,
describing Boston's celebration of John Adams's birthday.