Catharine Maria Sedgwick’s Mighty Pen
Presented by the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area
In 1856, Catharine Maria Sedgwick sat at her writing desk. She busily worked on her latest novel, titled Married or Single? Sedgwick considered her novel's message. After all, she understood that words held power. Finally, she wrote,
As slaves must be trained for freedom, so women must be educated for usefulness, independence, and contentment in single life.
Sedgwick herself lived according to this philosophy. She never married, believing the institution would take away her independence. Instead, she used her childhood education to her advantage. By writing stories, Sedgwick remained an independent woman. She also influenced American society through these narratives. After all, her works helped establish America's early literary tradition. She used her novels to advocate for women's independence, as well. Yet her impact extended beyond her writing desk. She became active in organizations designed to help impoverished and imprisoned women. Sedgwick also inspired young ladies by teaching at her sister-in-law's boarding school. With Sedgwick's help, the school became famous as "The Culture Factory."
The popularity of Sedgwick's works faded after her death. In recent decades, they have experienced a renaissance. Modern scholars extensively study her works. Even after her death, Sedgwick has left a lasting mark on the world of literature.
Early Influences
Catharine Maria Sedgwick was born in 1789 to Pamela Dwight and Theodore Sedgwick. Her busy father was a prominent lawyer and politician. He served in Congress as a Representative from 1789-1796. He served in the Senate from 1796-1799. Theodore returned to the House of Representatives from 1799-1801 as the Speaker.
Theodore Sedgwick
Meanwhile, Catharine's mother struggled with depression. Theodore's career and Pamela's poor health left neither parent able to care for Catharine. As a result, Elizabeth Freeman primarily raised her. Freeman was a formerly enslaved Black woman who won her freedom with Theodore's help. Catharine admired and respected Elizabeth. She praised her mentor's strong sense of justice, intelligence, honesty, and strength.
Elizabeth Freeman
Sedgwick also emphasized how Freeman influenced her as a child. In her autobiography, Catharine wrote:
I believe, my dear Alice, that the people who surround us in our childhood, whose atmosphere infolds us, as it were, have more to do with the formation of our characters than all our didactic and perceptive education.
Young Catharine was very close to her sisters, Eliza and Frances. She also remained inseparable from her brothers: Theodore, Henry, Robert, and Charles. Catharine received a mixture of formal and informal education. Her father strongly supported educating all his children. He read them classic literature and encouraged them to read books. With her father's encouragement, Catharine discovered a love of novels. As she grew, her father provided her with a formal education. Sedgwick attended elite boarding schools in Boston, New York, and Albany. She later claimed that her informal schooling left a bigger impact than any of her alma maters. Still, these academies undoubtedly influenced her skill at the writing desk.
Sedgwick’s childhood affected how she viewed marriage and independence. As a young girl, she attended both of her older sisters' weddings. For Catharine, these were not happy occasions. While the rest of the family celebrated each union, Catharine remained distraught. She could not stand the thought of losing her beloved sisters. Eliza’s marriage hit seven-year-old Catharine the hardest. She recalled crying at the wedding as Elizabeth Freeman tried to calm her. Eliza’s husband-to-be, Thaddues Pomeroy, attempted to sooth his young sister-in-law. He said that Eliza may stay home for the summer. Yet this statement upset Catharine even more. Decades later, she recalled thinking:
May! How my whole being revolted at the word. He had the power to bind or loose my sister!
Though Eliza had a generally pleasant marriage, it was not an equal one. At the time, it was normal for husbands to rule over their wives. The Laws of Coverture determined that a woman’s property became her husband’s upon marriage. As a result, married women could not own private property. If a marriage turned sour, divorce was rarely an option. It was heavily stigmatized and came at a cost. Since married women could not own property, courts often granted all belongings to her former husband. Furthermore, the law considered children property. As a result, courts often granted sole child custody to fathers.
If possible, Frances Sedgwick Watson might have chosen to divorce her husband. Her disastrous marriage further convinced Catharine to remain independent. Sedgwick recalled her older sister’s marriage, stating:
Mr. Watson is brutal in his conduct to her and does and has for a long time rendered her miserable.
These experiences shaped Catharine Maria Sedgwick's view of marriage. Though society stigmatized unmarried women, she was not deterred from remaining single. Through her words and career, Sedgwick praised the idea of women's independence.
The Mighty Pen
Sedgwick became a strong, motivated, and passionate writer. Yet she remained unsure if her work was good enough for American readers. Still, her brothers recognized her talent. They encouraged her to reach out to publishers. Harry and Robert helped her in particular. As she recalled,With my two brothers Harry and Robert I had intimate companionship and I think as true and loving a friendship as ever existed between brothers and sister.
With my two brothers Harry and Robert I had intimate companionship and I think as true and loving a friendship as ever existed between brothers and sister.
Harry especially recognized the importance of his sister's work. He told her that the United States should pay more attention to women's intelligence. With her brothers’ blessing, Sedgwick published A New-England Tale in 1822. From here, her literary career blossomed. She ultimately wrote nine more novels. She published Redwood (1824), Hope Leslie (1827), Clarence (1830), The Linwoods (1835), Home (1835), The Poor Rich Man, and the Rich Poor Man (1836), Live and Let Live (1837), The Irish Girl, and Other Tales (1850) and Married or Single? (1857.) Sedgwick also wrote hundreds of short stories, novellas, and children’s stories. These works won the American public's praise. Hope Leslie, a novel about Puritan Massachusetts and the Pequot War, became her most notable work. Its popularity truly brought Sedgwick into the limelight. After its release, she noted that she had become one of the most respected and famous authors of her time.
With her brothers’ blessing, Sedgwick published A New-England Tale in 1822. From here, her literary career blossomed. She ultimately wrote nine more novels. She published Redwood (1824), Hope Leslie (1827), Clarence (1830), The Linwoods (1835), Home (1835), The Poor Rich Man, and the Rich Poor Man (1836), Live and Let Live (1837), The Irish Girl, and Other Tales (1850) and Married or Single? (1857.) Sedgwick also wrote hundreds of short stories, novellas, and children’s stories. These works won the American public's praise. Hope Leslie, a novel about Puritan Massachusetts and the Pequot War, became her most notable work. Its popularity truly brought Sedgwick into the limelight. After its release, she noted that she had become one of the most respected and famous authors of her time.
Sedgwick knew that words held power. As such, she used her influence as an author to promote women's independence. Her works often focused on powerful female characters. Hope Leslie focused on the friendship between Hope and Magawisca. These women often made important decisions without relying on men.
In Married or Single? Sedgwick also destigmatized women who chose to remain unmarried. Through this novel, Sedgwick argued that women did not need husbands to be happy.
The author also discussed politics through her writing. In A Reminiscence of Federalism, she reflected on a summer she spent in Vermont as a child. She used this story to voice her opinions on Federalists and Democratic Republicans. These were the Early American Republic's two major political parties. Early in her story, Sedgwick discussed founding fathers John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Her father's loyalty to Federalism caused young Sedgwick to develop strong political opinions. She recalled her dislike of Thomas Jefferson, who was a Democratic Republican. As she wrote,
For myself, having been bred, according to the strictest sect of my political religion, a federalist, I regarded Mr. Jefferson, (whom all but his severest enemies do not now deny, to have been a calm, and at least well-intentioned philosopher,) as embodying in his own person whatever was impracticable, heretical and corrupt in politics, religion and morals.
Sedgwick also used this story to comment on local politics. With disdain and bewilderment, she recalled how campaigners mistreated a beloved local horse. These men took advantage of it by pasting slogans on its sides. This horse–nicknamed “Clover” by local children–essentially became a walking billboard. As she recalled,
Strange as it may seem, even poor Clover was converted into a political instrument. This ‘innocent beast and of a good conscience,’ was made to supply continual fuel to the inflammable passions of the fiery politicians of Carrington. His sides were pasted over with lampoons in which the rival factions vented their wit or their malignity safe from personal responsibility, for Clover could tell no tales. Thus he trudged from the hill, a walking gazette, his ragged and grizzled sides covered with these militant missives, and returned bearing the responses of the valley, as unconscious of his hostile burden, as the mail is of its portentous contents. Sometimes, indeed, Clover carried that which was more accordant with his kind and loving nature.
Overall, Sedgwick used A Reminiscence of Federalism to express her knowledge in two different ways. First, she recalled developing political opinions at an early age. Yet she also illustrated personal growth. In hindsight, she recognized that her father influenced her early beliefs. As she grew up, these beliefs changed. Since women could not vote until 1918, Sedgwick's words were important. Her story illustrated women's capacity to understand politics. Through her work, Sedgwick taught America that women held valuable political insight.
Through her words, Sedgwick promoted the idea of Republican Motherhood. This belief argued that women should educate their children to benefit America's future. By teaching boys and girls about academics, morality, and civic duty, they would grow up to be well-rounded citizens. Though this belief confined women to the household, it gave them added importance. In the past, women were only responsible for childcare. Meanwhile, men were responsible for educating their sons. Republican Motherhood allowed women to take on new and important responsibilities. It deemed them responsible for future generations. It also encouraged women's education. After all, uneducated women could not sufficiently teach their children.
Sedgwick idealized Republican mothers in her stories. In The Poor Rich Man, and the Rich Poor Man, Lottie taught her niece (Ruth) about the Bible's importance. Initially, Ruth attributed her family's good fortune to luck. Lottie gently corrected her niece. She suggested that God rewarded the family for their Christian values. Ruth readily received Lottie's lesson. She praised her aunt's wisdom and Biblical knowledge. Through this interaction, Sedgwick showed readers how Republican Motherhood benefitted families.
Beyond Her Books
Catharine Maria Sedgwick used her writing to promote women's independence. Yet her work extended beyond her pen. Indeed, Sedgwick helped ladies in other ways. In 1828, Sedgwick moved to Lenox, Massachusetts, to teach at her sister-in-law's new school. Mrs. Sedgwick’s School for Young Ladies was Elizabeth Dwight Sedgwick's passion project. Similar institutions aimed to increase ladies' marriage prospects. At these institutions, young women learned how to act as homemakers in high society. Yet Elizabeth Dwight Sedgwick's school stood apart. It educated young women on a variety of academic subjects. Students learned history, ethics, philosophy, rhetoric, and physiology (i.e., biology.) Catharine herself taught students about literature, including Shakespeare. She also held salons, which were a type of academic conference. During these meetings, attendants discussed literature with each other. These meetings were part of why the school became known as “The Culture Factory.”
Catharine also became the first director of the Women’s Prison Association of New York in 1854. She led it until her death in 1867. This organization was the first to advocate on behalf of female prisoners. It sought to protect imprisoned women from systematic abuse. It also focused on rehabilitating female prisoners. The organization used intervention to improve these women's lives. This technique showed women that instead of returning to a life of crime, it was possible to start a new chapter. The Association's operation continued long after Sedgwick’s death. In 2020, the Women’s Prison Association celebrated its 175th anniversary. Today, it continues its original mission. It advocates on behalf of incarcerated women, promotes reform, and supports rehabilitation.
Additionally, Sedgwick founded the Society for the Aid and Relief of Poor Women. This organization aimed to assist women living in impoverished conditions. Its mission was especially important during Sedgwick's lifetime. After all, middle and upper-class antebellum women rarely held jobs. Though some worked as teachers or nurses, most lived as homemakers. Need drove poorer women into the workforce. Many labored for low wages as factory workers or domestic servants. Those who did work often earned less than their male coworkers. Many employers incorrectly believed that women deserved less pay. In their view, female laborers produced inferior work. Such discrimination meant that widows were especially vulnerable to poverty. It was often difficult for these women to keep up with the cost of living. After all, they previously relied on their husband's salaries. Sedgwick's organization provided both aid and hope to these suffering women.
Catharine Maria Sedgwick died on July 1, 1867, at the age of seventy-seven. She passed at her niece’s home in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Sedgwick's body was brought back to her childhood home of Stockbridge. Here, friends and family buried her in the Sedgwick family plot. She was laid to rest next to Elizabeth Freeman and her brothers.
Catharine Maria Sedgwick's burial location
The nation mourned the loss of this beloved and brilliant author. Yet as time passed, the significance of Sedgwick's work faded.
Risen From the Ashes
Feminist scholars rediscovered Sedgwick’s works in the 1970s. They soon brought attention to both her writing and her accomplishments. English professor Lucinda Damon-Bach hosted the first Catharine Maria Sedgwick Symposium in 1997. The meeting's success prompted scholars to create the Catharine Maria Sedgwick society. They founded this organization to promote the author and her work to scholars and educators. Since that fateful day, the society has held seven additional symposiums. They also sponsored the 2008 Transatlantic Women Writers Conference and the 2012 Transatlantic Women Writers II Conference. Through these efforts, Sedgwick's writing has found its place on America's bookshelf. Today, Catharine Maria Sedgwick's works remain a paragon of early American literature.
Bibliography
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Berkshire Museum. “Catharine Maria Sedgwick: Legitimizing the Life of the Single Woman.” Legendary Locals. Accessed August 10, 2023. https://explore.berkshiremuseum.org/digital-archive/catharine-maria-sedgwick-legitimizing-the-life-of-the-single-woman.
Bogert, Elva J. and Robert V. Sparks. Massachusetts Historical Society. “Catharine Maria Sedgwick Papers 1798-1908: Guide to the Microfilm Collection.” Last updated February 19, 2021. https://www.masshist.org/collection-guides/view/fa0357.
Catharine Maria Sedgwick Society. “Welcome.” Last updated May 25, 2023. https://cmsedgwicksociety.org/.
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Owens, Carole. “Connections: Elizabeth Sedgwick’s Lenox ‘Culture Factory’.” The Berkshire Edge, December 1, 2015. https://theberkshireedge.com/connections-elizabeth-sedgwicks-lenox-culture-factory/.
Robbins, Sarah. “‘The Future Good and Great of Our Land’: Republican Mothers, Female Authors, and Domesticated Literacy in Antebellum New England.” The New England Quarterly 75, no. 4 (December 2002): 562-591. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1559860.
Sedgwick, Catharine Maria. A Reminiscence of Federalism. Boston: Charles Bowen, 1834. https://sedgwickstories.omeka.net/items/show/71.
Sedgwick, Catharine Maria. The Power of Her Sympathy: The Autobiography and Journal of Catharine Maria Sedgwick, edited by Mary Kelley. Boston: The Massachusetts Historical Society, 1993. https://archive.org/details/powerofhersympat0000sedg.
The New York Public Library. “Women's Prison Association of New York Records 1845-1983.” Manuscripts and Archives Division. Accessed August 10, 2023. https://archives.nypl.org/mss/3378.
Women’s Prison Association. “Historic Mission.” Accessed August 10, 2023. https://www.wpaonline.org/historic-mission/.
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