Catharine Sedgwick

Catharine Maria Sedgwick was born to Theodore and Pamela Dwight Sedgwick, the sixth of their ten children. Theodore Sedgwick served as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and as a Massachusetts senator. As a lawyer, he also fought to abolish slavery in his home state, a fact in which Catharine took great pride. Elizabeth Freeman, a former slave whose freedom Theodore secured and who was subsequently employed by the family, helped raise Catharine and had a noted influence on her. Catharine was close to her many siblings, two of whom, Harry and Theodore, were especially encouraging of Catharine’s writing, helping her publish and promote it. While still a young woman, Sedgwick became a prominent figure on America’s early literary scene. Having converted from Calvinism to Unitarianism, she published a pamphlet promoting religious tolerance, and she began making a living by publishing short stories, some of them specifically for young people. Among her novels, Hope Leslie gained an international readership and has had the most enduring popularity. Many of her novels included themes of patriotism, understanding between people of different cultures and religions, and women transcending the social roles expected of them. Though Catherine received several proposals throughout her life, she remained unmarried, and she divided her time between New York City and the Massachusetts Berkshires.