DOCSLIB.ORG

Women in the Nineteenth Century Unitarian Controversy Kimberly Hornback

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Women in the Nineteenth Century Unitarian Controversy Kimberly Hornback Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2007 Women in the Nineteenth Century Unitarian Controversy Kimberly Hornback Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES WOMEN IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY UNITARIAN CONTROVERSY By Kimberly Hornback A Thesis submitted to the Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2007 The members of the committee approve the thesis of Kimberly Hornback defended on October 25, 2007. ____________________________________ Neil Jumonville Professor Directing Thesis ____________________________________ Maxine Jones Committee Member ____________________________________ Amanda Porterfield Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii This work is dedicated to my husband and my parents. Without your ability to see farther for me than I can see for myself, who knows where I would be. I am thankful for all of your love. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract v Introduction 1 1. Private Lives 20 2. Public Lives 37 Conclusion 55 References 58 Biographical Sketch 63 iv ABSTRACT Despite the work that has been done on the Unitarian controversy in nineteenth century Boston, little is known about the effects of the controversy on women. This study examines the lives of Catharine Beecher, Elizabeth Peabody, and Mary Ware. An analysis of their lives yields answers to the question: How did the Unitarian controversy affect the private and social lives of these women? In addition, this study seeks to uncover some of the broader currents of American thought that accompanied the growth of Unitarianism. v INTRODUCTION By 1805, the religious landscape of Boston was undergoing great changes. Some of these changes were due to the emergence of Unitarian theology and the break between the Congregational and Unitarian churches. The Unitarian controversy is not a new subject of study to historians. Much work has been done over the years on the theological and legal disputes contained within the Unitarian controversy. Additionally, the thoughts of leading Calvinist and Unitarian theologians have been well-documented. What has not been thoroughly examined, however, are the effects of this religious disagreement on Bostonian culture and society at large – especially on the women of Boston. Because of the rancorous nature and church-splitting consequences of the Unitarian controversy, it is not likely that the debate or the effect of growing religious liberality was limited to rival theologians. The objective of this study is to look at the effects of the Unitarian controversy on the lives and roles of three white, middle to upper class antebellum women of Massachusetts. For example, how did this controversy affect the private and social lives of the women who had some connections with the theological rivalry? Did the controversy affect them at all? This will be examined on a microcosmic scale through the evaluation of three women: Mary L. Ware, Catharine Beecher, and Elizabeth Palmer Peabody. Moreover, I hope to answer, in some small part, the question that Donald M. Scott raised in his book review of Daniel Walker Howe’s The Unitarian Conscience: what can the growth of Unitarianism tell us about the changes that were transforming American society?1 So, in addition to examining the ramifications of the Unitarian controversy upon women, I hope to uncover some of the broader currents of American thought with regards to women which made room for the Unitarian church to arise in the first place. In the late eighteenth century, New England was a bastion of Calvinist thought. The bulwark which supported this thought was the Congregational church – a loose connection of parish churches which held basic beliefs in common yet still maintained control over their local congregation. The founding tenets of American Congregationalism were based in the hopes of a holy commonwealth in which dissenters 1 Donald Scott, “The Unitarian Conscience: Harvard Moral Philosophy, 1805-1861,” Church History 41, no.3 (September, 1972): 416. 1 were unwelcome.2 Through this commonwealth, the early Congregationalists would act as a city on a hill, thereby serving as an example for the rest of the world. Notably for this early commonwealth was the fact that it operated as both a civil authority and a religious authority. This pattern of civic and religious domination remained in place until the nineteenth century. Due to its early roots in America, the Congregational churches in Massachusetts were supported by taxes collected from the local parishes. Though each church maintained its own control, the parish as a whole supported the individual churches. So, if parish members did not attend a Congregational church – or were not accepted into it due to an inability to prove their own conversion – those members still owed taxes to support the church. These taxes were collected until the year 1823.3 The impetus for the Unitarian challenge found its roots in the growth of a liberal theology which had begun in the Congregational church before the nineteenth century. This theology embraced the rational ideas of the enlightenment, thereby allowing reason to be an instrument of scriptural interpretation and religious guidance. Throughout the latter part of the eighteenth century, a strand of liberal sentiment had been running through the Congregational church. Several Congregational pastors challenged the vigor of The Great Awakening and its proponents such as Jonathan Edwards, and George Whitfield. Whereas traditional Calvinism – and men like Edwards and Whitfield – placed salvation solely within the hands of a God who predestined believers for salvation, others began to give humans more agency. These men looked for an enlightened rationalism within their theology which argued against doctrines of man’s complete depravity and predestination.4 This form of religious doctrine was directly counter to the traditional Calvinist view that God had chosen to save a select group of people and that all others were subject to eternal damnation. Instead, proponents of a more liberal theology invoked what they perceived to be the kindness of God, as well as the ability of 2 J. William T. Youngs, The Congregationalists, Denominations in America, No. 4 (New York: Greenwood Press, 1990), 3. 3 Richard O. Curry, Lawrence B. Goodheart, “The Trinitarian Indictment of Unitarianism: The Letters of Elizur Wright, Jr., 1826-1827,” Journal of the Early Republic, no. 3 (Autumn, 1983): 281-296, 281-282. 4 Gary Dorrien, The Making of American Liberal Theology: Imagining Progressive Religion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001), 1. 2 man to reason his way through what had heretofore been supernatural, unknowable territory. The arguments of these early theologians did not, in themselves, produce the disagreements that would later create such a split in the Congregational church. What they do reveal, however, is the fact that there was an increasingly defined theological search for a way of belief that was softer than orthodox Calvinism. For many (such as Elizabeth Palmer Peabody), Calvinism was associated with punishment and censure. Unitarianism, however, allowed for a more benevolent God who was interested in individuals. Reason began to be introduced into religious discussions and, as the politics, philosophy, and social reality of America was changing, so was the religion. Liberal theologians began to develop other ideas such as Unitarianism which, at its core, believed that God’s nature was one rather than three. This, in turn, denied the divinity of Jesus and placed him in the role of an exemplary man rather than a divine. Additionally, proponents of Unitarianism argued that man was not innately depraved. This countered traditional scriptural teachings of original sin and the need for salvation.5 These doctrinal considerations were not the sole factors in the rancor that later erupted in the nineteenth century, however. For orthodox Calvinists, the Unitarian beliefs were a direct refusal of scripture and, thus, a way of life. Further, if scriptural confidence were to be shaken in areas such as the nature of God, original sin, and the divinity of Jesus, it was likely to be shaken even further in other areas. In essence, leaving the beliefs of Unitarians unchallenged was, for the Orthodox, akin to allowing a leak in the dam of morality that would ultimately burst and ruin the young nation. Many Unitarians, however, resented the social control and censure that they felt accompanied Orthodox Calvinism. They also resisted the thought that there was no room for rationalism in religion. They wanted to interpret God differently and wanted the social approbation to do so. So, though the Unitarian controversy erupted over doctrinal issues, its fires were fanned by issues of social control, punishment vs. benevolence, scriptural confidence, rationalism, morality, and independence. 5 Bruce Kuklick, ed., The Unitarian Controversy, 1819-1823 (New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1987), vol.1, 3. 3 Though Unitarianism itself was not considered a defined system of belief until the 1820’s (when it broke off from the Congregational church), there were many who departed from traditional Trinitarian beliefs in favor of Unitarian beliefs. The theological differences – as well as
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Information to Users
    INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand corner and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. University M crct. rrs it'terrjt onai A Be" 4 Howe1 ir”?r'"a! Cor"ear-, J00 Norte CeeD Road App Artjor mi 4 6 ‘Og ' 346 USA 3 13 761-4’00 600 sC -0600 Order Number 9238197 Selected literary letters of Sophia Peabody Hawthorne, 1842-1853 Hurst, Nancy Luanne Jenkins, Ph.D.
    [Show full text]
  • EVANS-DISSERTATION.Pdf (2.556Mb)
    Copyright by Katherine Liesl Young Evans 2010 The Dissertation Committee for Katherine Liesl Young Evans certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Staged Encounters: Native American Performance between 1880 and 1920 Committee: James H. Cox, Supervisor John M. González Lisa L. Moore Gretchen Murphy Deborah Paredez Staged Encounters: Native American Performance between 1880 and 1920 by Katherine Liesl Young Evans, B.A., M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin August, 2010 Acknowledgements For someone so concerned with embodiment and movement, I have spent an awful lot of the last seven years planted in a chair reading books. Those books, piled on my desk, floor, and bedside table, have variously angered, inspired, and enlightened me as I worked my way through this project, but I am grateful for their company and conversation. Luckily, I had a number of generous professors who kept funneling these books my way and enthusiastically discussed them with me, not least of which were the members of my dissertation committee. James Cox, my director, offered unflagging enthusiasm and guidance and asked just the right questions to push me into new areas of inquiry. Lisa Moore, Gretchen Murphy, John González, and Deborah Paredez lit the way towards this project through engaging seminars, lengthy reading lists, challenging comments on drafts, and crucial support in the final stages. Other members of the English department faculty made a substantial impact on my development as a teacher and scholar.
    [Show full text]
  • Dauntless Women in Childhood Education, 1856-1931. INSTITUTION Association for Childhood Education International, Washington,/ D.C
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 094 892 PS 007 449 AUTHOR Snyder, Agnes TITLE Dauntless Women in Childhood Education, 1856-1931. INSTITUTION Association for Childhood Education International, Washington,/ D.C. PUB DATE [72] NOTE 421p. AVAILABLE FROM Association for Childhood Education International, 3615 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20016 ($9.50, paper) EDRS PRICE NF -$0.75 HC Not Available from EDRS. PLUS POSTAGE DESCRIPTORS *Biographical Inventories; *Early Childhood Education; *Educational Change; Educational Development; *Educational History; *Educational Philosophy; *Females; Leadership; Preschool Curriculum; Women Teachers IDENTIFIERS Association for Childhood Education International; *Froebel (Friendrich) ABSTRACT The lives and contributions of nine women educators, all early founders or leaders of the International Kindergarten Union (IKU) or the National Council of Primary Education (NCPE), are profiled in this book. Their biographical sketches are presented in two sections. The Froebelian influences are discussed in Part 1 which includes the chapters on Margarethe Schurz, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, Susan E. Blow, Kate Douglas Wiggins and Elizabeth Harrison. Alice Temple, Patty Smith Hill, Ella Victoria Dobbs, and Lucy Gage are- found in the second part which emphasizes "Changes and Challenges." A concise background of education history describing the movements and influences preceding and involving these leaders is presented in a single chapter before each section. A final chapter summarizes the main contribution of each of the women and also elaborates more fully on such topics as IKU cooperation with other organizations, international aspects of IKU, the writings of its leaders, the standardization of curriculuis through testing, training teachers for a progressive program, and the merger of IKU and NCPE into the Association for Childhood Education.(SDH) r\J CS` 4-CO CI.
    [Show full text]
  • Alcott Family Papers 1814-1935
    The Trustees of Reservations – www.thetrustees.org THE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS ARCHIVES & RESEARCH CENTER Guide to Alcott Family Papers 1814-1935 FM.MS.T.1 by Jane E. Ward Date: May 2019 Archives & Research Center 27 Everett Street, Sharon, MA 02067 www.thetrustees.org [email protected] 781-784-8200 The Trustees of Reservations – www.thetrustees.org Box Folder Contents Date Extent: 6 boxes Linear feet: 3 lin. ft. Copyright © 2019 The Trustees of Reservations ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION PROVENANCE Transcendental manuscript materials were first acquired by Clara Endicott Sears beginning in 1918 for her Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts. Sears became interested the Transcendentalists after acquiring land in Harvard and restoring the Fruitlands Farmhouse. Materials continued to be collected by the museum throughout the 20th century. In 2016, Fruitlands Museum became The Trustees’ 116th reservation, and these manuscript materials were relocated to the Archives & Research Center in Sharon, Massachusetts. In Harvard, the Fruitlands Museum site continues to display the objects that Sears collected. The museum features four separate collections of significant Shaker, Native American, Transcendentalist, and American art and artifacts. The property features a late 18th century farmhouse that was once home to the writer Louisa May Alcott and her family. Today it is a National Historic Landmark. These papers were acquired by a combination of purchases and donations up through the 1980s. OWNERSHIP & LITERARY RIGHTS The Alcott Family Papers are the physical property of The Trustees of Reservations. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. CITE AS Alcott Family Papers, Fruitlands Museum. The Trustees of Reservations, Archives & Research Center.
    [Show full text]
  • Sophia Peabody Hawthorne
    MRS. SOPHIA AMELIA PEABODY HAWTHORNE SOPHIA PEABODY HAWTHORNE “NARRATIVE HISTORY” AMOUNTS TO FABULATION, THE REAL STUFF BEING MERE CHRONOLOGY Sophia Amelia Peabody Hawthorne “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX SOPHIA AMELIA PEABODY SOPHIA PEABODY HAWTHORNE 1804 May 16, Wednesday: Elizabeth Palmer Peabody was born to the dentist Nathanael Peabody and the Unitarian Elizabeth Palmer Peabody in Billerica, Massachusetts.1 She would attend the 2d (soon to be Unitarian) Church in Salem, Massachusetts. NOBODY COULD GUESS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT 1. Elder to Mary and Sophia, the other two of “the Peabody sisters,” she would grow up to become someone the 19th Century treated with amused tolerance, in part because she was an intelligent woman, in part because she became obese: her bookstore would be at 13 West Street in Boston and she would be the publisher of the journal of the Transcendentalists, THE DIAL. HDT WHAT? INDEX SOPHIA PEABODY HAWTHORNE SOPHIA AMELIA PEABODY 1807 November 16, Monday: Mary Tyler Peabody (Mann) was born to the dentist Nathanael Peabody and the Unitarian Elizabeth Palmer Peabody in Billerica, Massachusetts. She would attend the 2d (soon to be Unitarian) Church in Salem, Massachusetts. A British fleet arrived at the mouth of the River Tejo, Portugal. Friend Stephen Wanton Gould wrote in his journal: 2nd day 16th of 11 M 1807 / This evenings Mail has confirmed the melancholy report of my dear Brother David’s decease. He departed this life the 22nd of 10th M last About 9 OClock in the evening at Savannah in Georgia after twelve days illness of a fever, the particulars of his sickness we have not yet learnt whether he was favord with his reason to the last, or reconciled to the Solemn final change, we wish very much to hear but as he was so far from us & no particular friend & acquaintance near, it is most likely we Shall not very soon if ever learn how it was with him - The circumstance of his change at so great a distance from us is a very close tryal, & since the news reached us I have had to take an home view of death.
    [Show full text]
  • A Cultural History of the Influence of Nineteenth-Century American Print on the Trajectory of The
    CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by The University of Utah: J. Willard Marriott Digital Library THE IMPRINT OF THE PRESS: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE INFLUENCE OF NINETEENTH-CENTURY AMERICAN PRINT ON MORMONISM IN KIRTLAND, OHIO, 1831-1837 by Jeremy John Chatelain A dissertation submitted to the faculty of The University of Utah in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Communication The University of Utah May 2018 Copyright © Jeremy John Chatelain 2018 All Rights Reserved The University of Utah Graduate School STATEMENT OF DISSERTATION APPROVAL The dissertation of Jeremy John Chatelain has been approved by the following supervisory committee members: David J. Vergobbi , Co-chair 02/26/2018 Date Approved Kimberley Mangun , Co-chair 02/26/2018 Date Approved Glen Feighery , Member 02/26/2018 Date Approved W. Paul Reeve , Member 02/27/2018 Date Approved J. B. Haws , Member 02/22/2018 Date Approved and by Danielle Endres , Chair/Dean of the Department/College/School of Communication and by David B. Kieda, Dean of The Graduate School. ABSTRACT This cultural history of Mormonism in Kirtland, Ohio, from 1831 to 1837 uses Agenda Setting and Vilification Theories to analyze 1,617 articles from 325 newspapers published during those years. This unprecedented number of sources enabled the researcher to identify how nineteenth-century print culture and texts about and by the Mormons created, shaped, changed, and directed the trajectory of Mormonism in its formative years. The qualitative examination exposed the most recurring topics on Mormonism in papers across the country, including the phenomenon of editors’ specific efforts to create a cultural enemy of Joseph Smith; the editorial tone used while writing about such news; the number of times identical or similar texts were reprinted in the newspaper exchange; and the dispersion and geographical reach of readers throughout the United States.
    [Show full text]
  • The American Transcendentalists
    THE AMERICAN TRANSCENDENTALISTS ESSENTIAL WRITINGS Edited and with an Introduction by Lawrence Buell THE MODERN LIBRARY NEW YORK CONTENTS INTRODUCTION xi A NOTE ON THE TEXTS xxix I. ANTICIPATIONS 1.. MARY MOODY EMERSON, Letters to a Future Transcendentalist (1817-51) 3 2. SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE, Reason Versus Understanding (1825,1829) 9 3. WILLIAM ELLERY CHANNING, Humanity's Likeness to God (1828) 11 4. THOMAS CARLYLE, The Age of Machinery (1829) 16 5. RALPH WALDO EMERSON, A Young Minister Refuses to Perform a Crucial Duty (1832) 20 6. FREDERIC HENRY HEDGE, The Significance of Kantian Philosophy (1834) 23 7. GEORGE RIPLEY, Victor Cousin and the Future of American Philosophy (1838) 25 II. MANIFESTOS AND DEFINITIONS 1. RALPH WALDO EMERSON, Nature(\836) 31 vi • Contents Contents • vii 2. AMOS BRONSON ALCOTT, from The Doctrine and Discipline of Human 2. Ralph Waldo Emerson Declines George Ripley's Invitation to Join Culture(1836) 68 Brook Farm (1840) 201 3. ORESTES BROWNSON, The Reconciliation of God, Humanity, State, 3. RALPH WALDO EMERSON, "Self-Reliance" (1841) 208 and Church (1836) 76 4. ELIZABETH PALMER PEABODY, from "Plan of the West Roxbury 4. RALPH WALDO EMERSON, "The American Scholar" (1837) 82 Community" (1842) 232 5. CHRISTOPHER PEARSE CRANCH, from "Transcendentalism" (1839) 100 5. GEORGE RIPLEY et al, Brook Farm's (First Published) Constitution (1844) 235 6. GEORGE RIPLEY, Letter of Intent to Resign (1840) 103 6. THEODORE PARKER, from "A Sermon of Merchants" (1846) 244 7. RALPH WALDO EMERSON, "The Transcendentalist" (1841) 107 7. MARGARET FULLER, On the Italian Revolution (1847-50) 251 8. CHARLES DICKENS, On Boston Transcendentalism (1842) 123 8.
    [Show full text]
  • Miss Elizabeth Palmer Peabody Referred to a Local Person As “Our High Priest of Nature,” It Was Not Henry Thoreau to Whom She Was Referring, but Jones Very
    When Miss Elizabeth Palmer Peabody referred to a local person as “our High Priest of Nature,” it was not Henry Thoreau to whom she was referring, but Jones Very. It is true that the term “Nature” was at that time, as it is now, associated with going on an excursion in the country (despite the fact that such an excursion was then termed a “pic nic” rather than a “picnic”), but primarily the term “Nature” was in use during this period as a trope for the investigation of theology without the opening of authoritative books. And it was Very, not Thoreau, who was the reigning local expert at this type of mystic spirituality. When Miss Elizabeth Palmer Peabody at one point suggested to Margaret Fuller that she might write for the Democratic Review. Fuller responded, in a letter: “Are they good pay (for I have heard the contrary) - ? Will they pay me unasked? or torture all my lady like feelings...?” “NARRATIVE HISTORY” AMOUNTS TO FABULATION, THE REAL STUFF BEING MERE CHRONOLOGY “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project Miss Elizabeth Palmer Peabody HDT WHAT? INDEX MISS ELIZABETH PEABODY ELIZABETH PALMER PEABODY 1804 May 16, Wednesday: Elizabeth Palmer Peabody was born to the dentist Nathanael Peabody and the Unitarian Elizabeth Palmer Peabody in Billerica, Massachusetts.1 She would attend the 2d (soon to be Unitarian) Church in Salem, Massachusetts. NOBODY COULD GUESS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project Miss Elizabeth Palmer Peabody 1. Elder to Mary and Sophia, the other two of “the Peabody sisters,” she would grow up to become someone the 19th Century treated with amused tolerance, in part because she was an intelligent woman, in part because she became obese: her bookstore would be at 13 West Street in Boston and she would be the publisher of the journal of the Transcendentalists, THE DIAL.
    [Show full text]
  • Amos Bronson Alcott - Poems
    Classic Poetry Series Amos Bronson Alcott - poems - Publication Date: 2012 Publisher: Poemhunter.com - The World's Poetry Archive Amos Bronson Alcott(29 November 1799 – 4 March 1888) Amos Bronson Alcott was an American teacher, writer, philosopher, and reformer. As an educator, Alcott pioneered new ways of interacting with young students, focusing on a conversational style, and avoided traditional punishment. He hoped to perfect the human spirit and, to that end, advocated a vegan diet before the term was coined. He was also an abolitionist and an advocate for women's rights. Born in Connecticut in 1799, Alcott had only minimal formal schooling before attempting a career as a traveling salesman. Worried about how the itinerant life might negatively impact his soul, he turned to teaching. His innovative methods, however, were controversial, and he rarely stayed in one place very long. His most well-known teaching position was at the Temple School in Boston. His experience there was turned into two books: Records of a School and Conversations with Children on the Gospels. Alcott became friends with <a href=" Alcott married Abby May in 1830 and they eventually had four surviving children, all daughters. Their second was Louisa May, who fictionalized her experience with the family in her novel Little Women in 1868. Alcott is often criticized for his inability to earn a living and support his family; he often relied on loans from his brother-in-law, Emerson, and others. He was never financially secure until his daughter became a best-selling novelist. <b>Life</b> <b>Early life</b> A native New Englander, Amos Bronson Alcott was born in Wolcott, Connecticut (only recently renamed from "Farmingbury") on November 29, 1799.
    [Show full text]
  • David Tappan
    THE HOLLIS PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY AT HARVARD COLLEGE, THE REVEREND DAVID TAPPAN The ancestor of this family, Abraham Toppan, had come to this continent from Yarmouth, England in 1637, there had been any number of intervening generations, and then the father of David Tappan, the Reverend Benjamin Tappan, who had gotten married with Elizabeth Marsh, had been pastor of a church in Manchester, Massachusetts from 1720 to 1790. HDT WHAT? INDEX REVEREND DAVID TAPPAN THE TAPPAN FAMILY 1752 April 21, Monday: David Tappan was born in Manchester, Massachusetts to the Reverend Benjamin Tappan and Elizabeth Marsh Tappan. In addition to David there would be 11 children in that family, Benjamin, Samuel, Mary, Wigglesworth (who would die a bachelor), Abigail, Samuel, Ebenezer, Michael, Elizabeth, Patty, and Amos. THE FUTURE CAN BE EASILY PREDICTED IN RETROSPECT The Tappan Family “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX REVEREND DAVID TAPPAN THE TAPPAN FAMILY 1771 James Madison, Jr. graduated from the College of New Jersey (during his education he seems to have compiled ABRIEF SYSTEM OF LOGICK on the basis of lectures offered by the Reverend John Witherspoon). PRINCETON UNIVERSITY ...The arbitrary signs of Ideas have been invented & instituted by Men for the communication of their thoughts to one another, & discover their not being Natural but artificial by their being in various Countries and Ages, various and changeable. The Brute creation have nothing but the Language of Nature, which is intelligible to all those of the same species; but being given only for necessary Uses, makes their conversation and correspondence very narrow and confin’d.
    [Show full text]
  • Amos Bronson Alcott (1799-1888), Born in Connecticut to a Family of Farmers, Spent Most of His Adult Life in and Around Boston and Concord
    Amos Bronson Alcott (1799-1888), born in Connecticut to a family of farmers, spent most of his adult life in and around Boston and Concord. His father Joseph Alcox, a direct descendent of one of the first settlers who had sailed across the Atlantic in 1630 with Gov. John Winthrop, was a man of little formal education. Besides, the family suffered of financial shortages. Thus, Bronson never enjoyed the education he later enabled for his daughters. Nevertheless, his educational mission did not sway much from the religious mission of the first settlers who had sought to found a new spiritual Garden Eden that would redeem and enlighten the world. Equally, Alcott’s pedagogy was directed toward finding a path of educational enlightenment in par with his religious zeal to cultivate and perfect the human soul. In order to understand Alcott’s pedagogy, it is important to identify American transcendentalism as his ideological inspiration and the myriad pedagogical school of thoughts that shaped his teaching methods. In the following essay, I will begin with examining Alcott’s pedagogy and the theoretical foundations underlying it, which will be further exemplified in his Temple School (1834 – 1837), where he practiced his teachings. Finally, I will conclude with Alcott’s legacy on today’s pedagogy. To bed his teachings into the socio-historical timeframe, I will further draw upon the general education in America during his time and illustrate his relationship to famous contemporaries, including his family. Alcott’s early life shaped his thoughts on education and learning, especially infant and child education, which will be discussed at length later.
    [Show full text]
  • What Schooling Does to Teachers
    CHAPTER 3 WHAT SCHOOLING DOES TO TEACHERS Elizabeth, Mary and Sophia Peabody were sisters from Massachusetts, all born in the first decade of the nineteenth century. Their stories, if you don’t know them already, are incredible.1 I will introduce these sisters in just a moment, but before I do, let me remind you what this chapter is about. In Chapter 2, we saw the world of teachers as through a glass darkly. Framed by Horace Mann’s injunctions of compulsory school attendance and affectionately authoritative relations with teachers­—not to mention the increasing isolation of children from contact with the everyday adult world—we saw the way that the child’s desire for intimacy and belonging can get warped within the schooling context. Teachers did not come out looking particularly good from all of this. The odds, as I tried to stress again and again, are stacked strongly against them. In this chapter, we will try to gain a clearer understanding of the position of the teacher by focusing on their experiences. Leaving Horace Mann, we will instead focus on his second wife, the equally brilliant and influential Mary Peabody Mann. Mary’s biographical thread will be our gateway into the world of the teacher. Having explored what compulsory schooling does to children in the last chapter, our overall task in the chapter will be to explore what exactly it is that compulsory schooling does to teachers. My conclusion, I’m sure, will not surprise you: teaching in American schools comes with great risks to the teacher’s psychic health.
    [Show full text]