The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 1 of 2): Including Public Addresses, Her Own Letters and Many From Her Contemporaries During Fifty YearsHarper, Ida Husted
History
The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 1 of 2): Including Public Addresses, Her Own Letters and Many From Her Contemporaries During Fifty Years
Harper, Ida Husted
Anthony, Susan B. (Susan Brownell), 1820-1906
The manufacture of cotton becoming a prominent industry in New England
at this time, the alert mind of Daniel Anthony conceived the idea of
building a factory and using the waters of Tophet brook and of a rapid
little stream which flowed through the Read farm. This was done, and
proved a success from the beginning. A document is still in existence
by which "D. Read agrees to let D. Anthony have as much water from the
brook on his farm as will run through a hole six inches in diameter."
This was conveyed by an aqueduct, made from hollow logs, to the factory
where it turned the over-shot wheel and furnished power to the
twenty-six looms. The factory hands for the most part came down from
the Green mountain regions, glad of an opportunity never before enjoyed
of earning wages and supporting themselves. They were girls of
respectability, and, as was the custom then, boarded with the families
of the mill-owners. Those of the Anthony factory were divided between
the wife and Hannah Anthony Hoxie, a married sister. Lucy Anthony soon
became acquainted with the stern realities of life. Her third baby was
born when the first was three years and two months old. That summer she
boarded eleven factory hands, who roomed in her house, and she did all
the cooking, washing and ironing, with no help except that of a
thirteen-year-old girl, who went to school and did "chores" night and
morning. The cooking for the family of sixteen was done on the hearth
in front of the fire-place and in a big brick oven at the side. Daniel
Anthony was a generous man, loved his wife and was well able to hire
help, but such a thing was not thought of at that time. No matter how
heavy the work, the woman of the household was expected to do it, and
probably would have been the first to resent the idea that assistance
was needed.
During the first seventeen years of this marriage eight children were
born. One died at birth and one at the age of two years. The eldest,
born July 1, 1818, was named for the wife of William Penn, who married
a member of the Anthony family, Gulielma Penn, which was contracted to
Guelma. Susan was the second child, born February 15, 1820, and named
for an aunt, Susan Anthony Brownell. She herself adopted the initial
"B" when older, but never claimed or liked the full name.[3]
[Illustration:
BIRTHPLACE OF SUSAN B. ANTHONY, ADAMS, MASS.
(BORN IN ROOM SHADED BY TREE.)]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account