The life and writings of Betsey Chamberlain : Native American mill worker / Judith A. Ranta.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ranta, Judith A., 1953-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Chamberlain, Betsey Guppy, 1797-1886.

Chamberlain, Betsey Guppy.

Textile workers--United States--Biography.

Textile workers.

Indians of North America--Biography.

Indians of North America.

Textile industry in literature.

United States.

Local Subjects:

Chamberlain, Betsey Guppy.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xvi, 284 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Boston : Northeastern University Press, [2003]

Summary:

During the 1830s and 1840s, Betsey Guppy Chamberlain (1797-1886), a mixed-race writer of English and Algonkian heritage, labored in the textile mills of Lowell, Massachusetts, where she penned colorful stories and sketches for two workers' magazines -- the Lowell Offering and The New England Offering. A courageous and pioneering author, Chamberlain wrote the earliest known Native American fiction and published some of the earliest prose to challenge the persecution of Native people and affirm their dignity and worth. The life and works of this remarkable and multifaceted woman are now recovered from obscurity in this volume, which collects for the first time thirty-four of Chamberlain's richly varied contributions. Organized in three thematic sections (Native Tales and Dream Visions; "The Unprivileged Sex": Women's Concerns; and Village Sketches), the captivating writings range from humorous autobiographical sketches of New England life to protest pieces that raise consciousness about the treatment of Native people, excessive mill hours and poor working conditions, and the oppression of women. Drawn from Euro-American and Native oral literary traditions, Chamberlain's fiction and other prose shed new light on nineteenth-century American working women and illuminate the multicultural roots of New England writing. The volume, which features a comprehensive biographical and critical introduction based on literary detective work and meticulous research, restores to history the significant contributions of this Native American writer, feminist, and humorist.

Contents:

Part 1 Biographical and Critical Introduction 1

Piecing Together a Portrait 3

Chamberlain's Life and Family 15

Chamberlain's Writings 63

Part 2 Betsey Chamberlain's Writings: Texts 123

1 Native Tales and Dream Visions 125

A Fire-Side Scene 125

The Indian Pledge 126

A New Society 128

A Reverie 130

Sabbath Morning 131

A Vision of Truth 133

Visit to a Grave-Yard 134

2 "The Unprivileged Sex": Women's Concerns 137

Aunt "Dear Soul" 137

Cousin Mary 139

Fortune-Telling. A Narrative of Salmagundi 148

The Last Witch of Salmagundi 153

A Letter about Old Maids 157

Old Maids and Old Bachelors. Their Relative Value in Society 158

Origin of Small Talk 161

Recollections of an Old Maid. Number 1 163

Recollections of an Old Maid. Number 2 166

Recollections of an Old Maid. Number 3 169

Witchcraft 176

3 "Our Town": Village Sketches 179

The Black Glove 179

Christmas 181

The First Dish of Tea 185

The First Wedding in Salmagundi 187

The Husking 190

La Brainard 192

The Old Farm-House 197

Our Town: How It Looked 200

Our Town. Number 2. Our Meeting-House 202

Our Town. Number 3. Our Pulpit 206

Prayer in a Sick-Room 208

Recollections of My Childhood 210

The Whortleberry Excursion: A True Narrative 216

The Sugar-Making Excursion 220

Tribute to Salmagundi 224

A Winter Evening 226

Appendix A Pedigree Chart 229

Appendix B Brief Chronology of Betsey Guppy Chamberlain's Life 231.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 261-274) and index.

ISBN:

155553564X

1555535658

OCLC:

50670010