Murray grew up in a well-off household, using the family library to teach herself beyond the regular reading and writing a woman was taught at the time. She began to write letters and poetry at a young age. She was given a typical education for a woman of her class, with reading, writing, and household chores like sewing. However, Murray would go on to become more than a housewife.
Murray married John Stevens in 1769. Stevens died in 1786, and Murray married John Murray in 1788, taking his last name as the one she is now famous for. Murray also had a child in 1791, Julie Marie. Throughout this time, Murray was making a name for herself. Well, several names.
“Honora,” “Martesia,” or “Constantia” could be seen in newspapers, as well as the man known as “The Gleaner.” But don’t be fooled, these were all names Murray wrote under as she published her works to multiple news outlets and magazines. She is most famous for “The Gleaner” as this name was chosen to ensure that her ideas would be considered rather than thrown away simply because she was a women. However, “On the Equality of the Sexes” was published under the name “Constantia.”
Murray also accomplished many other amazing feats of writing in her time. She wrote plays, such as The Medium and The Traveller Returned, both of which were produced and performed. She also published a three volume book called The Gleaner, increasing her body of work. And her love for poetry from a young age never died, and under her pseudonyms she wrote multiple poems for magazines and newspapers.
Judith Sargent Murray died in 1820 at age 69 in Natchez, Mississippi. We might glance over her name and her works in passing as we try to cram all the rest of the chapter in our heads, but Murray was a truly amazing women, one of the first to advocate for equal rights. She was a poet, essay writer, novelist, screenplay writer, and more. I personally believe she is one cool gal who we should all know a little more about.
Sources:
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/judith-sargent-murray
http://www.jsmsociety.com/Chronology.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Sargent_Murray#Career_accomplishments
Thank you so much for sharing this information! I always love to learn about a strong female historical figure! I think that we spend so much time learning about prominent men in politics that sometimes we forget to remember that women were also contributing to our history.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an awesome post Sydney! I think the fact that she had to use a pen name is tragic, but one such as the "Gleaner" does inspire curiosity, which I'm sure aided in the discovery and fame of Murray's works. It's inspiring to learn about one of the first feminists in American history, especially one who achieved some degree of respect as Murray did.
ReplyDeleteI really love that you further looked into this incredibly important woman in history and made sure to relate what you were saying and the significance of it back to us and our course. We can so easily get caught up in trying to remember everything for that grade that we forget these were real people that had huge impacts on our lives and that they should be remembered for something more than a score.
ReplyDeleteI love how you compared Murray's situation with the typical woman of the time, noting how she taught herself to read beyond the typical level, and became a very prominent writer while most women remained in the domestic sphere. I also like how you noted the different names she published under, and the importance of doing that, so that her works would actually be read and not immediately dismissed.
ReplyDelete