Augusta Evan Wilson

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In: Civil War, Writing

Born in 1835 in Columbia, Georgia, Augusta Evans Wilson was the first American woman author to earn over $100,000 until Edith Wharton did so in the 1920s.  She wrote the first of nine novels, Inez: A Story of the Alamo, at the age of fifteen, and her second novel, Beulah, written at eighteen, sold 22,000 copies and established her as a professional writer.  Typical of her times and following the pattern of the inspirational romance genre, her novels featured spunky heroines who succumbed to traditional values and happily-ever-afters written in the sentimental style of the period.  During the Civil War, she supported the Confederate cause, working tirelessly in theRead More →

Wide, Wide World: A Book Review

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In: 19th Century Women, Authors, Civil War, Writing

“Good came out of evil, as it often does…” Thus writes Susan Warner at the end of her novel The Wide, Wide World, a work often considered America’s first best seller. It was certainly a literary sensation. Published by Putnam in 1851 Warner’s novel was widely acclaimed. Henry James, for example, compared it to the work of Flaubert. In two years alone, fourteen editions were issued. It remained in print through 1892 and sold thousands of copies in both the United States and England. The Wide, Wide World is the story of a little girl’s journey to womanhood. Ellen, a spoiled and highly emotional child,Read More →

Harriet Tubman

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In: 19th Century Women, Abolition, Civil War, News, Writing

Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) was recognized as a hero in her own day. An escaped slave, she repeatedly went back to the south and led other slaves to freedom, saving thousands. Outspoken and fearless, she was a passionate and influential speaker in both the abolitionist movement and in the fight for women’s rights. It is very hard to know for sure if the words attributed to Harriet Tubman are truly hers. Dr. Sernett, author of Harriet Tubman: Myth, Memory, and History (Duke University Press, 2007) says, “Because she was illiterate, we have mediated histories of her — stories always told by others — that leave it open toRead More →