1197: Elizabeth Freeman The First Black Slave to File and Win a Freedom Suit in Massachusetts Born: c.1744, Claverack, The Colony of New York (Present-day Claverack, New York, United States of America) Died: 28 December 1829, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, United States of America Original Name: Mum Bett Elizabeth’s case was titled Brom and Bett v Ashley…
1162: Frances Culpeper Stephens Berkeley Ludwell Wife of Three Colonial Governors Born: 1634, Kent, England (Present-day Kent, United Kingdom) Died: c.1695, Jamestown, The Colony of Virginia (Present-day Jamestown, Virginia, United States of America) Also Known As: Lady Frances Berkeley Frances was one of the leaders of the Green Springs Virginia Political Faction, which effectively controlled…
1161: Mary Rowlandson Early Colonial Eyewitness Author Born: c.1637, Somerset, England (Present-day Somerset, United Kingdom) Died: c.1710/1711, Massachusetts Bay Colony (Present-day Wethersfield, Connecticut, United States of America) Also Known As: Mary Talcott Mary and her family moved to the New World when she was a small child, and Mary herself was the sixth of ten…
1160: Jane Dickenson One of the Few Colonial Women to be Heard Before a Court of Law Born: Unknown, Most Likely England (Present-day England, United Kingdom) Died: After 1624, Mostly Likely The Colony of Virginia, Present-day Virginia, United States of America Jane made a landmark plea to be released from indentured servitude in the year…
1150: Hannah Adams The First Woman to Work Professionally as a Writer in the United States Born: 2 October 1755, Medfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony (Present-day Medfield, Massachusetts, United States of America) Died: 15 December 1831, Brookline, Massachusetts, United States of America Hannah had no formal schooling. She was born into a large family headed by…
1149: Awashonks Sunksqua of the Sakonnet Tribe Born: c.1620-1640, Most Likely Present-day Rhode Island, United States of America Died: after 1683, Present-day United States of America Awashonks means “She who is Queen” and was her title, not her name. Unfortunately, her actual name has been lost to history. Sunksqua is the feminized term for Sachem,…
1146: Anne Bradstreet The First English Poet to Have Their Works Printed in the American Colonies Born: 20 March 1612, Northampton, England (Present-day United Kingdom) Died: 16 September 1672, Andover, Massachusetts Bay Colony (Present-day Andover, Massachusetts, United States of America) Anne was the most prominent of the early English colonial poets and has been recognized…
1142: Mary Katharine Goddard The Second Person to Print Copies of the Declaration of Independence Born: 16 June 1738, New London, The Colony of Connecticut (Present-day New London, Connecticut, United States of America) Died: 12 August 1816, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America However, Mary was the first to print the document with the Signer’s…
1127: Weetamoo Sunksqua (Female Chieftain) of the Pocasset Wampanoag Tribe Born: c.1635-1640, Pocasset Lands (Present-day North Tiverton, Rhode Island, United States of America) Died: 6 August 1676, (Present-day Taunton, Massachusetts, United States of America) Weetamoo was the daughter-in-law of Massasoit, who signed a treaty with the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock. Her biological father was the…
1126: Nancy Ward The Last Beloved Woman of the Cherokee Nation Born: c.1738, Chota, Cherokee Nation (Present-day Monroe County, Tennessee, United States of America) Died: 1822, near Present-day Benton, Tennessee, United States of America Also Known As: Nanye-hi (Translated as either One who Goes About or She who Walks Among the Spirits—sources differ) Nancy has…