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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Cokie Roberts comes New York Times bestseller Founding Mothers, an intimate and illuminating look at the fervently patriotic and passionate women whose tireless pursuits on behalf of their families–and their country–proved just as crucial to the forging of a new nation as the rebellion that established it.
While much has been written about the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, battled the British, and framed the Constitution, the wives, mothers, sisters and daughters they left behind have been little noticed by history. #1 New York Times bestselling author Cokie Roberts brings us women who fought the Revolution as valiantly as the men, often defending their very doorsteps. Drawing upon personal correspondence, private journals, and even favoured recipes, Roberts reveals the often surprising stories of these fascinating women, bringing to life the everyday trials and extraordinary triumphs of individuals like Abigail Adams, Mercy Otis Warren, Deborah Read Franklin, Eliza Pinckney, Catherine Littlefield Green, Esther DeBerdt Reed and Martha Washington–proving that without our exemplary women, the new country might have never survived.
Cokie Roberts is a political commentator for ABC News and NPR. She has won countless awards, and in 2008 she was named a "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress. She is the author of the number one New York Times bestseller We Are Our Mothers' Daughters. Her other books, Founding Mothers, Ladies of Liberty, and From This Day Forward (written with her husband, journalist Steven V. Roberts), also spent weeks on the bestseller list. She and her husband have also collaborated on Our Haggadah. Roberts is the mother of two and grandmother of six.
| Acknowledgments and author's note | ||
| Introduction | ||
| Ch. 1 | Before 1775 : the road to revolution | 1 |
| Ch. 2 | 1775-1776 : independence | 37 |
| Ch. 3 | 1776-1778 : war and a nascent nation | 78 |
| Ch. 4 | 1778-1782 : still more war and home-front activism | 109 |
| Ch. 5 | 1782-1787 : peace and diplomacy | 144 |
| Ch. 6 | 1787-1789 : constitution and the first election | 186 |
| Ch. 7 | After 1789 : raising a nation | 227 |
| Cast of characters | 279 | |
| Recipes | 283 | |
| Notes | 289 | |
| Index | 351 |
Stirrings of Discontent
When you hear of a family with two brothers who fought heroically in the Revolutionary War, served their state in high office, and emerged as key figures in the new American nation, don't you immediately think, "They must have had a remarkable mother"? And so Charles Cotesworth Pinckney and Thomas Pinckney did. Today Eliza Lucas Pinckney would be the subject of talkshow gabfests and made-for-TV movies, a child prodigy turned into a celebrity. In the eighteenth century she was seen as just a considerate young woman performing her duty, with maybe a bit too much brainpower for her own good.
George Lucas brought his English wife and daughters to South Carolina in 1734 to claim three plantations left to him by his father. Before long, however, Lucas left for Antigua to rejoin his regiment in fighting the war against Spain, leaving his sixteen-year-old daughter in charge of all the properties, plus her ailing mother and toddler sister. (The Lucas sons were at school in England.) Can you imagine a sixteen-year-old girl today being handed those responsibilities? Eliza Lucas willingly took them on. Because she reported to her father on her management decisions and developed the habit of copying her letters, Eliza's writings are some of the few from colonial women that have survived.
The South Carolina Low Country, where Eliza was left to fend for the family, was known for its abundance of rice and mosquitoes. Rice supported the plantation owners and their hundreds of slaves; mosquitoes sent the owners into Charleston (then Charles Town) for summer months of social activities. Though Wappoo Plantation, the Lucas home, was only six miles from the city by water, seventeen by land, Eliza was far too busy, and far too interested in her agricultural experiments, to enjoy the luxuries of the city during the planting months.
The decision about where to live was entirely hers (again, can you imagine leaving that kind of decision to a sixteen-year-old?), as Eliza wrote to a friend in England in 1740: "My Papa and Mama's great indulgence to me leaves it to me to choose our place of residence either in town or country." She went on to describe her arduous life: "I have the business of three plantations to transact, which requires much writing and more business and fatigue of other sorts than you can imagine. But least you should imagine it too burdensome to a girl at my early time of life, give me leave to answer you: I assure you I think myself happy that I can be useful to so good a father, and by rising very early I find I can go through much business." And she did. Not only did she oversee the planting and harvesting of the crops on the plantations, but she also taught her sister and some of the slave children, pursued her own intellectual education in French and English, and even took to lawyering to help poor neighbors. Eliza seemed to know that her legal activities were a bit over the line, as she told a friend: "If you will not laugh immoderately at me I'll trust you with a secret. I have made two wills already." She then defended herself, explaining that she'd studied carefully what was required in will making, adding: "After all what can I do if a poor creature lies a dying and their family taken it into their head that I can serve them. I can't refuse; but when they are well and able to employ a lawyer, I always shall." The teenager had clearly made quite an impression in the Low Country.
The Lucases were land-rich but cash-poor, so Eliza's father scouted out some wealthy prospects as husband material for his delightful daughter. The young woman was having none of it. Her father's attempts to marry her off to a man who could help pay the mortgage were completely and charmingly rebuffed in a letter written when she was eighteen. "As you propose Mr. L. to me, I am sorry I can't have sentiments favorable enough of him to take time to think on the subject ... and beg leave to say to you that the riches of Peru and Chile if he had them put together could not purchase a sufficient esteem for him to make him my husband." So much for her father's plan to bring some money into the family. She then dismissed another suggestion for a mate: "I have so slight a knowledge of him I can form no judgment of him." Eliza insisted that "a single life is my only choice ... as I am yet but eighteen." Of course, many women her age were married, and few would have brushed off their fathers so emphatically, but the feisty Miss Lucas was, despite the workload, having too much fun to settle down with some rich old coot.
Eliza loved "the vegetable world," as she put it, and experimented with different kinds of crops, always with a mind toward commerce. She was keenly aware that the only cash crop South Carolina exported to England was rice, and she was determined to find something else to bring currency into the colony and to make the plantations profitable. When she was nineteen, she wrote that she had planted a large fig orchard "with design to dry and export them." She was always on the lookout for something that would grow well in the southern soil. Reading her Virgil,she was happily surprised to find herself "instructed in agriculture ... for I am persuaded though he wrote in and for Italy, it will in many instances suit Carolina."
By her own account, Eliza was always cooking up schemes. She wrote to her friend Mary Bartlett: "I am making a large plantation of oaks which I look upon as my own property, whether my father gives me the land or not."
Founding Mothers"While the men were busy founding the nation, what were the women up to?" Cokie Roberts answers this question in Founding Mothers, a revealing and remarkable book that chronicles the American Revolution through the eyes of its unsung heroes.
They were wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters. They were patriots, politicians, and philosophers. Though their signatures don't appear on the Declaration of Independence, their influence on the founding of the nation was as instrumental as that of the men whose names are inked in history.
From Abigail Adams and Martha Washington to lesser-known figures like Catharine Littlefield Greene and Sally Livingston Jay, Roberts unfolds the stories of our Founding Mothers -- the women who tended home and hearth often under dire circumstances, ran farms and businesses, fought on the front lines of battle, wrote propaganda that called a nation to arms, acted as spies, and raised money for the troops. In many instances, their political and social sentiments proved more insightful than those of the men in the Continental Congress.
In Founding Mothers, Roberts gives voice to women who faced an uncertain future, believed in the revolutionary concept of a democratic society, and offered a steady hand to guide the fledgling nation. She weaves together anecdotes, diary excerpts, and correspondence; draws on military records, newspaper accounts, songs, and poetry; and intersperses her own insightful commentary throughout.
In a letter to her husband, Abigail Adams pondered whether future generations would care about the personal sacrifices they and others had made on behalf of the nation. "Posterity who are to reap the blessings," she wrote, "will scarcely be able to conceive the hardships and sufferings of their ancestors." More than two hundred years after she penned these words, Founding Mothers makes it clear that the nation we know today would not exist without the bravery, foresight, and steadfastness of Abigail Adams and her compatriots. These are the women who raised our nation.
Questions for Discussion
About the Author
Cokie Roberts, author of We Are Our Mothers' Daughters, is the political commentator for ABC News and serves as Senior News Analyst for National Public Radio. From 1996-2002 she and Sam Donaldson co-anchored the weekly ABC interview program This Week. Roberts co-authored From This Day Forward with her husband Steven V. Roberts, and together they write a weekly column syndicated in newspapers around the country by United Media and serve as contributing editors to USA Weekend.
ISU_paa
Posted Tue Apr 17 00:00:00 EDT 2012
I read this book for a class assignment, and used the book to analyze leadership. Personally, I think that anyone who has an interest in U.S. History should read this book, if nothing else for the interesting historical facts. I really loved hearing about how John Edwards was related to Aaron Burr, the story surrounding Benedict Arnold's wife, and the correspondence between Martha Washington and Abigail Adams. I already had a pretty extensive knowledge of American History going into this book, and I still learned a lot from it. No one else talks about the stories surrounding the women behind the men we all have heard so much about, so it was nice to hear an alternative perspective. Unfortunately, the book was a slow read, and got monotonous at times. Cokie Roberts had a great idea to write the book, but as a previous post says, it was poorly executed. Her organization was poor to say the least. Also, she tended to go off on tangents which seemed to detract heavily from the important points of the book. If you're looking for an enjoyable, easy-read type of book, this one isn't for you. However, if you want to hear a new perspective on an old story, I would highly recommend giving this book a try. Like I said, as someone with a strong interest in history, I enjoyed the book, even though it was a bit of a task to actually read it.
9 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri Apr 09 00:00:00 EDT 2010
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I agree with some other reviewers: this book takes a topic that's not well understood and makes a unique approach, but is poorly written and organized. I understand the desire to be engaging, but I think the material would have done that for itself, without side notes trying to draw modern comparisons or make jokes. Basing her research in women's letters, Roberts brings a whole world to life. However, she allows the relationships between women and the timeline to guide her writing, where in my opinion, a more scholarly approach -- perhaps by organizing it topically and drawing a few more conclusions -- would have been much stronger. In the end, I have a vivid picture of what women's lives were like, and what role they played in the early days of our country, but I'm not sure what to make of it, because it was all so scrambled. Still, when such things come up in conversation (which is sadly rare), it has a lot to offer in terms of interesting factoids.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Karen127
Posted Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2009
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I am a devoit reader of books on the early years of this country and have especially loved Founding Brothers (Ellis), John Adams (McCullough)and Benjamin Franklin (Isaacson) as well as Ferlings Adams versus Jefferson. As a professional woman I looked forwaard to this book especially seeking a more detailed discussion of Abigail Adams, a most fascinating woman. I could not have been more disappointed. Ms. Robert's writing was simplistic, patronizing and written for the aforementioned 12 year old girl. Factually, it was not accurate (note to Cokie-there was no vice presidential candidate in either 1796 or 1800). Don't waste your time with this book.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Jan 20 00:00:00 EST 2005
After reading biographies on John Adams, Alexander Hamiltion, and George Washingion, I was really excited about reading about our founding mothers. This is one area that needs more research done on it. I bought the tapes, and started listening to the book, and became very disappointed. Ms. Roberts is not a historian, she is a reporter, and this shows in her book. Throughout the book she shares her opinions, and tries to be funny. Sometimes she makes statements that seem to be exaggerated. It seems that Ms. Roberts is just writing for women, by her comments. She should have had more confidence that this important topic, would be read by both females and males. Its obvious Ms. Roberts did her research, and many interesting stories are told in this book. I could not get past her bias and opinions in this book. It would be great if a real historian, like Doris Kearns Goodwin, tackled this subject matter.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Apr 08 00:00:00 EDT 2010
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If you like history especially the early history of America, you'll like this book. I had previously listened to the "John Adams" audio disc. Hearing this history of the women who were a major part of the same era provided an interesting counterpart to that book. I find such audio books make history live in a way reading the book doesn't always do.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sat Jun 12 00:00:00 EDT 2004
This is a good book, but as one would expect, it is a bit politically correct for a book written about early America. Such are the times in which we live.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Mon Apr 19 00:00:00 EDT 2004
Wonderfully readable, yet satisfiyingly researched, history of the women who stood behind the men who made American history. Fascinating story and not 'feminist' at all; a great story for women, men and older children, and another example of how even the best-known historical events have many unexplored sides. (Haven't you ever wondered about Mrs. Einstein?) For a fascinating exploration of the opposite story--a man's view of fatherhood, marriage and staying home with the kids, I loved 'I Sleep At Red Lights: A True Story of Life After Triplets,' by Bruce Stockler.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Apr 22 00:00:00 EDT 2004
I loved this book! It made me think and laugh at the same time. Impressively researched, beautifully written; this does a lot of justice to the gene. Thank you Cokie!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Cokie Roberts writing is impeccable. Interesting, exciting to think of our founding mothers. This is an excellent history of the founding of America and the part women played in it. The men were off here and there but women held down the country. Excellent!
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Posted Sat May 24 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Tremendous! I wish I'd had it back when I was in school, history would have been so much easier for me! She did an amazing job of researching and pulling together everything into a true story of the time; I particularly loved the personal comments along the way.
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Posted Thu Jan 09 00:00:00 EST 2014
I haven't used it yet.
0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Fri Dec 27 00:00:00 EST 2013
Only a few chapters in but very much enjoying this new angle on history.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Founding Mothers is a book about the women behind the well-known men who founded America. These are the wives and mothers that were at home, raising the family, running the farms and businesses. Cokie Roberts brings together the letters and details of history to acknowledge and praise the women that created this nation. The men fought the war overseas and ran for public office, but the women helped to steer their actions, while defending their homes.
Cokie Roberts has done a brilliant job of telling the stories of multiple women that helped shape this country. She demonstrates that the strengths and weaknesses of each of these women played a vital role in America’s history. Filled with recipes and references from letters, this book gives a behind the scenes look into the daily life. Though this book is divided into different time periods, the individual women’s stories blend into each other, which makes it a bit slow at times. However, this is an intriguing read for anyone looking to learn more about America’s past.
Notes:
This review was written for My Sister's Books.
This review was originally posted on Ariesgrl Book Reviews.
kyohin
Posted Thu Oct 03 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Always happy to learn about the lives of the sisters who went on before me.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.wilVD
Posted Sat Mar 30 00:00:00 EDT 2013
A very interesting read of how the women on the revolutionary war played such an important (and usually overlook) part in the founding of our country AND the values we installed into our constitution.
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Posted Tue Mar 26 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Cokie Roberts has done an outstanding job of delineating the roles of the Founding Fathers and the Founding Mothers, with history once again proving women served a most defining role in the founding of our nation. Intimate letters portray not only their determination and fortitude, but their sorrow, persecution and complete dedication to their husbands, their families and their country. Also portrayed is the intertwining relationships that led to the fear of a monarchial form of government much like that which existed in European nations. Her down to earth comments and asides only further add to the reader's desire for more information. The writer shows that the "beltway" mentality is nothing new!
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Posted Wed Mar 20 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Finally a look at things from the female view. History tends to ignore the contributions of women. This book brings them forward.
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Posted Wed Mar 06 00:00:00 EST 2013
I am not a liberal in any sense of the current political definition thereof. However, I firmly believe this book should be required reading for all high school graduates.
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Posted Mon Feb 25 00:00:00 EST 2013
Great Subject....................................................................
A good book honoring the women that came before us. A little slow at times but such is the nature of writing history. Every person you read about cannot be equally interesting and this book covered many different personalities. All and all a good read.
ISU_lberg
Posted Sat Apr 14 00:00:00 EDT 2012
“Founding Mothers” was written by ABC News political commentator Cokie Roberts. Cokie was born the daughter of a US Congressman and has spent her entire life immersed in the Washington DC political scene where she has observed first-hand the important role that women play both behind the scenes and, increasingly, on the public stage (including her own mother, who won a special election to fill her father’s seat in the House following his untimely death). Cokie’s interest in history and her unique life experiences prompted her to intelligently and sensitively discuss the role of women during the nation’s formative years. “Founding Mothers” is a collection of private journals and personal correspondence that reveal surprising stories of the fascinating women and their roles during the nation’s formative years leading up to our Declaration of Independence and the Revolution, who without their exemplary drive and determination our new country might never have survived.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Cokie Roberts comes New York Times bestseller Founding Mothers, an intimate and illuminating look at the fervently patriotic and passionate women whose tireless pursuits on behalf of their families–and their country–proved just as crucial to the forging of a new nation as the rebellion that established it.
While much has been written about the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, battled the British, and framed the ...