III. Woman's Legal Powers--Right to Own and Will Property--John Todd's Will--A Church Attempts to Cheat a Woman--Astonishing Career of Margaret Brent--Women Fortify Boston Neck--Tompson's Satire on it--Feminine Initiative at Nantucket. IV. Patriotic Initiative and Courage--Evidence from Letters--The Anxiety of the Women--Women Near the Firing-Line--Mrs. Adams in Danger--Martha Washington's Valor--Mrs. Pinckney's Optimism--Her Financial Distress--Entertaining the Enemy--Marion's Escape--Mrs. Pinckney's Presence of Mind--Abigail Adams' Brave Words--Her Description of a Battle--Man's Appreciation of Woman's Bravery--Mercy Warren's Calmness--Catherine Schuyler's Valiant Deed--How She Treated Burgoyne--Some General Conclusions. BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX WOMAN'S LIFE IN COLONIAL DAYS CHAPTER I COLONIAL WOMAN AND RELIGION _I. The Spirit of Woman_ With what a valiant and unyielding spirit our forefathers met the unspeakable hardships of the first days of American colonization! We of these softer and more abundant times can never quite comprehend what distress, what positive suffering those bold souls of the seventeenth century endured to establish a new people among the nations of the world. The very voyage from England to America might have daunted the bravest of spirits. Note but this glimpse from an account by Colonel Norwood in his _Voyage to Virginia_: "Women and children made dismal cries and grievous complaints. The infinite number of rats that all the voyage had been our plague, we now were glad to make our prey to feed on; and as they were insnared and taken a well grown rat was sold for sixteen shillings as a market rate. Nay, before the voyage did end (as I was credibly informed) a woman great with child offered twenty shillings for a rat, which the proprietor refusing, the woman died."