Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant: A Women's History

Hannah to Thomas Jefferson, 15 November 1818 In which Hannah, a woman enslaved by Thomas Jefferson at his vacation home of Poplar Forest, writes to him about his health and his property. In today's episode I am joined by Brandon Dillard, the Manager of Historic Interpretation at Monticello, and we talk about how public historic sites talk about slavery, and how valuable letters like Hannah's can be to interpreters. Sources and more reading: The transcribed text of the letter: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-13-02-0355 The letter in Hannah's handwriting: https://classroom.monticello.org/media-item/letter-from-hannah/ More about Hannah: https://www.poplarforest.org/learn/thomas-jeffersons-life-and-times/the-enslaved-people-of-poplar-forest/slave-biographies/ More about Poplar Forest: https://www.poplarforest.org/learn/ Jefferson's boils: Jefferson's Memorandum Books, vol. II. The Papers of Thomas Jefferson Digital Edition, ed. James P. McClure and J. Jefferson Looney. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, Rotunda, 2008–2020. pg. 1350, note 88. "Hoping to eradicate the “seeds” of his rheumatism, TJ had planned a short visit to the Warm Springs, but was persuaded to extend his stay to three weeks—a decision he ever after regretted. He lived in one of the log cabins of the thermal establishment presided over by merry landlord John Fry, took the 98° waters three times daily in the hexagonal bath building, suffered acutely from boredom, and late in his stay broke out in boils, probably from a staphylococcus infection. This painful complaint, with associated fever and debility, made his return journey a torment. Having arrived at Monticello in a state of extreme exhaustion, he was incorrectly treated with mercurial ointments for what his doctor supposed to be scabies, and was soon at “death’s door.” When medication was stopped he gradually began to recover, but he missed his autumn visit to Poplar Forest, was not able to return to normal activity until December, and always blamed “the unlucky experiment of the springs” and its aftermath for the recurring ill health from which he suffered over the next few years (TJ to MJR, 7, 14, 21 Aug. 1818; TJ to Francis W. Eppes, 11 Sep. 1818; TJ to James Breckenridge and to William Alston, 6 Oct. 1818; TJ to Henry Dearborn, 5 July 1819; Percival Renier, The Springs of Virginia [Chapel Hill, N.C., 1941], p. 102-7; [Philip H. Nicklin], Letters Descriptive of the Virginia Springs . . . by Peregrine Prolix [Philadelphia, 1837], p. 25)."

Jannote Roustant to Jean Roustant, 1 July 1745 AND Johanna Fredericha Teller to Ambrosius Teller, 28 May 1798. In which two separate women deal with the fallout of their absent husbands. I'm thrilled to post this episode that I recorded last July with Dr. Lucas Haasis (@LHaasis) and Lisa Magnin, researchers with the Prize Papers Project. This is an incredible project that is going to be a great resource for people studying just about any aspect of history. Resources: The project: https://www.prizepapers.de/ Magnin's work: https://www.prizepapers.de/stories/case-studies/case-study-french-prizes/the-amphitrion/the-diligente-1 Haasis's book: http://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-power-of-persuasion/9783837656527

Sarah Livingston Jay to Samuel Lyon, 14 Nov. 1794 In which the wife of a diplomat writes to a man about a horse, and things get REALLY messy, really fast. Many thanks to my wonderful guest, Robb Haberman, for talking about this letter with me! Further Reading: The letter: https://exhibitions.library.columbia.edu/exhibits/show/john_jay/item/12342 The Jay Papers Volumes on Rotunda: https://rotunda.upress.virginia.edu/founders/JNJY.html The scanned, digitized Jay Papers: https://dlc.library.columbia.edu/jay

John Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough to Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough, 13 Aug. 1704 In which Daniel Parke meets his Tragical End. References: I used the ODNB for research but because of capitalism that's behind a paywall. So here's Abel Boyer's Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abel_Boyer The Political state of Great Britain. London, Eng. : Printed for J. Baker and T. Warner, January 1710-11, 335-39. “Virginia Gleanings In England,” The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Oct. 1912, 372-381 Micajah Perry to William Byrd, 12 May 1711. The Correspondence of The Three William Byrds of Westover, Virginia 1684-1776. Ed. Marion Tinling (Charlottesville: The University of Virginia Press) 280.

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Elizabeth Parke Custis Law to David Baillie Warden, 20 April, 1808. In which Elizabeth Parke Custis Law tells David Baillie Warden PRECISELY why she is no one to be toyed with. This is part 1 of a two part episode, because this letter was so long it took up the whole episode. In two weeks I will post the follow up conversation with me and my talented and knowledgeable guest, Lizzy Thomas. Further Reading: Elizabeth Parke Custis Law: https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/elizabeth-parke-custis-law/ The letter itself: Hoyt, William D. "Self-Portrait: Eliza Custis, 1808." The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 53, no. 2 (1945): 89-100. Accessed March 2, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4245342.