TRANSATLANTIC FEMINISMS IN THE AGE OF REVOLUTIONS This page intentionally left blank TRANSATLANTIC FEMINISMS IN THE AGE OF REVOLUTIONS Edited by Lisa L. Moore , Joanna Brooks , and Caroline Wigginton Oxford University Press, Inc., publishes works that further Oxford University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education. Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With offi ces in Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam Introduction and editorial matter copyright © 2012 by Oxford University Press, Inc. Published by Oxford University Press, Inc. 198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016 www.oup.com Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Transatlantic feminisms in the age of revolutions / edited by Joanna Brooks, Lisa L. Moore, and Caroline Wigginton. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-0-19-974348-3 (hardcover : acid-free paper)—ISBN 978-0-19-974349-0 (pbk. : acid-free paper) 1. English literature—Women authors. 2. Feminist literature. 3. Women—Literary collections. 4. American literature—Women authors. 5. Feminism in literature. 6. Feminism and literature—English-speaking countries. 7. Women and literature—History—18th century. 8. Women and literature—History—17th century. I. Brooks, Joanna, 1971– II. Moore, Lisa L. (Lisa Lynne) III. Wigginton, Caroline. PR113.T73 2011 820.803522—dc22 2011002740 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper Contents Acknowledgments xi Introduction Lisa L. Moore and Joanna Brooks 3 “Let Your Women Hear Our Words” 3 Transatlanticism, Feminism, Revolution: Defi nitions 6 The Age of Revolutions: Historical Background 10 Women’s Lives and Feminist Struggles in the Age of Revolutions 16 Renaming the Age of Revolution 26 Our Hopes for This Anthology 30 A Note on the Texts 34 1. Anne Marbury Hutchinson (1591–1643) 35 Transcripts from the Trial of Anne Hutchinson (1637) 36 2. Anne Dudley Bradstreet (ca. 1612–1672) 41 “The Prologue” (1650) 42 “In Honour of that High and Mighty Princess, Queen Elizabeth of Happy Memory” (1650) 44 “The Author to Her Book” (1678) 48 3. Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle (ca. 1623–1674) 49 “Femal Orations” (1662) 50 vi Contents 4. Margaret Askew Fell Fox (1614–1702) 54 Women’s Speaking Justifi ed (1666) 55 5. Bathsua Reginald Makin (1600–ca. 1675) 59 An Essay to Revive the Antient Education of Women (1673) 60 6. Aphra Behn (1640–1689) 66 “To the Fair Clarinda Who Made Love to Me, Imagin’d More Than Woman” (1688) 67 7. Mary Astell (1663–1731) 68 A Serious Proposal to the Ladies (1694) 69 8. Pierre Cholenec, S.J. (1641–1723) 76 From The Life of Katharine Tegakoüita, First Iroquois Virgin (1696) 77 9. Sarah Fyge Egerton (1670–1723) 84 “The Emulation” (1703) 85 10. Martha Fowke Sansom (1689–1736) 87 “On being charged with Writing incorrectly” (1710) 88 11. Anne Kingsmill Finch, Countess of Winchilsea (1661–1720) 90 “The Unequal Fetters” (1713) 91 12. Anonymous 92 “Cloe to Artemisa” (1720) 92 13. Elizabeth Magawley 94 Letter to the Editor of the Philadelphia American Weekly Mercury (1730/31) 94 14. Anonymous 96 “Woman’s Hard Fate” (1733) 96 15. Anonymous 98 “The Lady’s Complaint” (1736) 98 16. Katherine Garret (Pequot; ?–1738) 100 The Confession and Dying Warning of Katherine Garret (1738) 101 Contents vii 17. Mary Collier (b. 1679) 103 The Woman’s Labour (1739) 104 18. Damma/Marotta/Magdalena 110 Petition to Queen Sophia Magdalene of Denmark (1739) 112 19. Coosaponakeesa/Mary Musgrove Mathews Bosomworth (Creek; ca. 1700–1767) 114 Memorial (1747) 115 20. Mary Leapor (1722–1746) 124 “Man the Monarch” (1748) 125 “An Essay on Woman” (1748) 127 21. Susanna Wright (1697–1784) 130 “To Eliza Norris—at Fairhill” (1750) 131 22. William Blackstone (1723–1780) 133 “Of Husband and Wife” (1765) 134 23. Hannah Griffi tts (1727–1817) 137 “The Female Patriots. Address’d to the Daughters of Liberty in America” (1768) 137 24. Frances Moore Brooke (1725–1789) 139 From The History of Emily Montague (1769) 140 25. Aspasia 143 Reply to “The Visitant,” Number XI (1769) 143 26. Phillis Wheatley (1753?–1784) 146 “To the Right Honourable William, Earl of Dartmouth” (1773) 147 Letter to Samson Occom (1774) 148 27. Mercy Otis Warren (1728–1814) 150 Letter to Catharine Sawbridge Macaulay (1774) 151 28. Thomas Paine (1737–1809) 155 “An Occasional Letter on the Female Sex” (1775) 156 viii Contents 29. Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) 160 Declaration of Independence (1776) 160 30. Abigail Smith Adams (1744–1818) 164 Letter to John Adams, March 31, 1776 165 Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, April 14, 1776 165 Letter to Mercy Otis Warren, April 27, 1776 166 Letter to John Adams, June 30, 1778 168 31. Mary “Molly” Brant/Tekonwatonti/Konwatsi-Tsiaienni (Mohawk; 1735/6–1796) 170 Letters to Judge Daniel Claus (1778–1779) 171 32. Esther de Berdt Reed (1747–1780) 173 The Sentiments of an American Woman (1780) 173 33. Nancy Ward/Nanye’hi (Cherokee; 1738?–1824) and Cherokee Women 178 Speech of Cherokee Women to General Greene’s Commission, July 26–August 2, 1781 180 Nancy Ward Speech to the U.S. Treaty Commissioners (1781) 180 Speech to the U.S. Treaty Commissioners (1785) 181 Cherokee Women to Governor Benjamin Franklin (September 8, 1787) 181 34. Women of Wilmington 183 Petition to his Excellency Gov. Alexander Martin and the Members of the Honorable Council (1782) 183 35. Belinda (born about 1713) 186 Petition of 1782 187 Petition of 1787 188 36. Judith Sargent Murray (1751–1820) 190 Desultory Thoughts upon the Utility of Encouraging a Degree of Self - C omplacency, Especially in Female Bosoms (1784) 191 “On the Equality of the Sexes” (1790) 194 37. Anonymous 204 Petition of the Young Ladies (1787) 204 Contents ix 38. Benjamin Rush (1746–1813) 206 From Thoughts Upon Female Education (1787) 206 39. Hannah More (1745–1833) 210 Slavery: A Poem (1788) 211 40. Anonymous 221 Petition of Women of the Third Estate to the King (1789) 222 41. Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757–1834) 225 Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (1789) 225 42. Catharine Sawbridge Macaulay Graham (1731–1791) 229 From Letters on Education (1790) 230 43. Pauline Léon (1758–?) 242 Petition to the National Assembly on Women’s Rights to Bear Arms (1791) 243 44. Olympe de Gouges (1748–1793) 245 Declaration of the Rights of Woman and Citizen (1791) 246 45. Margaretta Bleecker Faugeres (1771–1801) 257 “On seeing a Print, Exhibiting the Ruins of the Bastille” (1792) 258 46. Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797) 261 From A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) 262 47. Sarah Pierce (1767–1852) 283 “Verses to Abigail Smith” (1792) 284 48. Annis Boudinot Stockton (1736–1801) 287 Letter to Julia Stockton Rush on Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (ca. 1793) 288 49. Priscilla Mason 291 “Oration” (1793) 292 50. Anonymous 296 “On the Marriage of Two Celebrated Widows” (1793) 297