Susan Nye Hutchison (1790-1867) was one of many teachers to venture south across the Mason-Dixon Line in the Second Great Awakening. From 1815 to 1841; she kept journals about her career; family life; and encounters with slavery. Drawing on these journals and hundreds of other documents; Kim Tolley uses Hutchison's life to explore the significance of education in transforming American society in the early national period. Tolley examines the roles of ambitious; educated women like Hutchison who became teachers for economic; spiritual; and professional reasons. During this era; working women faced significant struggles when balancing career ambitions with social conventions about female domesticity. Hutchison's eventual position as head of a respected southern academy was as close to equity as any woman could achieve in any field. By recounting Hutchison's experiences--from praying with slaves and free blacks in the streets of Raleigh and establishing an independent school in Georgia to defying North Carolina law by teaching slaves to read--Tolley offers a rich microhistory of an antebellum teacher. Hutchison's story reveals broad social and cultural shifts and opens an important window onto the world of women's work in southern education.
#1320432 in Books The University of North Carolina Press 2013-02-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.10 x .80 x 6.10l; 1.05 #File Name: 1469600870336 pages
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Exceedingly Interesting; Very Well Written; and Well ResearchedBy Kindle CustomerWalter W. Woodward has introduced a new academic term being investigated by scholars. The term is Christian Alchemy. In his academic breakdown of the the influence of alchemy on the formation of New England and subsequently the American culture; Woodward investigates how alchemy and Christianity created a secret pan-Atlantic language that created much of the theosophy that would bind Puritan ideals with Enlightenment philosophy to create the new American spirituality; all of which the foundation is alchemy; both operative and speculative."Winthrop and his alchemical colleagues did not question whether alchemy was "scientific" or whether it was consistent with Puritan values. They understood alchemy to be a progressive; intellectual; immensely utilitarian but simultaneously spiritual undertaking of the utmost importance. They saw themselves as enlightened beings and lived in hope of achieving scientific advances of both immediate practical value and eternal importance."Without setting out to do so; I believe Woodword has set in motion the academic study of the missing link of why alchemy was at the root of the Enlightenment and owns a recognizable place at the foundation of the philosophies that would form Speculative Freemasonry.He details the relationships that connected the Medici; Marsilio Ficino; Pico Mirandolo; Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa and Philippus Bambastus von Hohenhiem to that of the Royal Society and the secretive natural philosophers of the time such as Morray and Winthorp. Subsequently; he provides both the pan-Atlanitic link between philosophies and outlines a Christianized approach to science that would stress understanding the power of God's creation through scientific investigation. This theocratic approach to the sciences is found to have permeated European protestant friendly approaches to understanding our existence and found their way across the Atlantic. The super-fertile ground of colonialism gave birth to a new "Christian alchemy" that cross pollinated with the thinkers of Europe and reads so similar to the philosophies of Freemasonry as to be almost inseparable providing the "cement" of explanation as to why alchemy is so pervasive throughout the Masonic degrees in allegorical form.This book is academic; honest; and well done. I recommend it to historians interested in the Enlightenment; Colonial America; etc. I recommend it to Freemasons and esotericist as well. The level of scholarship is astounding and higher than we normally find in books with the word alchemy in the title.17 of 17 people found the following review helpful. Gov. John Winthrop Jr.; Connecticut's Savior and MoreBy R. G. TomlinsonJohn Winthrop Jr. was a giant figure in Colonial New England; particularly in Connecticut. In his book; "Prospero's America"; Connecticut State Historian; Walter Woodward lays out just how multi-dimensional and far ranging were Winthrop's interests and influence.Winthrop is popularly known as the man most responsible for defending Connecticut's existence and winning a clear royal charter to govern. Woodward reveals Winthrop's many other roles and how they were interrelated.Viewed by many as "the lesser Governor" in reference to his role as Governor of Connecticut in contrast to his father's dominating role as Governor of the larger Massachusetts Colony; the Winthrop that Woodward documents leads to a different evaluation. He shows us a figure of great talent and even greater dreams and ambitions.John Winthrop Jr. had a vision that; although ultimately frustrated; encompassed the possibility of establishing a settlement in the New World that would draw leading intellectuals to live and work in a great experimental laboratory whose output would influence worldwide thinking. He was deeply interested in science and saw the study of alchemy in a broader role than a narrow quest to turn baser metals into gold. He saw it as a philosophy; an expression of the sciences of chemistry; metallurgy and physics and a religious quest. Making practical application of science; he initiated important commercial projects in mining and salt making to bolster New England's economy.It is remarkable to learn the extent to which Winthrop did not live a life of isolation in New England. He traveled and he corresponded eagerly with like-minded individuals in England and Europe; sharing discoveries in alchemy. He was made a member of the Royal Society and called upon to sate their great hunger and curiosity about the New World. Sensitive to the potentially negative political effects of such knowledge; he was cunning in responding to the Royal Society's demands without whetting the appetite for tighter royal control of the colonies and their resources.Winthrop played many roles - as the founder of New London and other settlements; as the political leader who successfully negotiated and defended a royal charter for Connecticut; as a beloved medical doctor; as a practicing scientific alchemist; as the developer of mining and salt making operations; as the would-be protector of the defeated Pequot tribe; and as the pillar of reason against witchcraft hysteria. These actions were not independent of one another. Woodward shows the linkages between these seemingly disparate activities and how they flowed from the consistent inner character and motivations of the man who did them."Prospero's America" is not a book for light reading. It is deeply researched and meticulously documented. However; it is not for academic consumption alone. Anyone with an interest in Colonial New England will be richly rewarded for persevering to the end. You will never again be able to view the major political; social and commercial events of seventeenth century Connecticut as haphazard and uncorrelated nor Puritan leadership as uniformly rigid. You will see that Governor John Winthrop Jr. was not an isolated figure; remote from the intellectual mainstream of his era; hidden away in a wilderness corner of Connecticut and the marginal shadow of his famous father.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Prospero's America has given me a better understanding of what one man can accomplish if he ...By Anthony GriegoProspero's America went beyond my expectations. For anyone interested in Puritan American history this is a must have book. More should be taught in Connecticut's schools about the role of John Winthrop Jr's in the formation of our present State. Professor Woodward's chapter on the role that Winthrop played in the ending of executions for Witchcraft in Connecticut was especially interesting to me. Sadly; John Winthrop Jr. died many years before the Salem Witchcraft hysteria took over twenty innocent lives. Prospero's America has given me a better understanding of what one man can accomplish if he believes that he can correct a terrible wrong. A scholarly resource for those interested in a better understanding of Puritan thinking.
