Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant

Eleanor Parke Custis (Lewis) to Elizabeth Bordley (Gibson), 14 May 1798 In which rumors are dispelled, patriotic songs are sung, and girls draw on large mustaches with burnt cork. Many thanks to returning guest Samantha Snyder for coming on the show to talk about this letter! Note: at the time of recording neither Samantha nor my book had come out yet. Now both of them have! Please do check them out. Thank you for your patience while I worked on this episode! Brady, Patricia. George Washington's Beautiful Nelly: The Letters of Eleanor Parke Curtis Lewis to Elizabeth Bordley Gibson, 1794-1851. Expanded ed. edition. Columbia, S.C: University of South Carolina Press, 2006. “Founders Online: From George Washington to George Washington Parke Custis, 15 A ….” University of Virginia Press. Accessed November 8, 2022. http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/06-02-02-0165. “Founders Online: To George Washington from George Washington Parke Custis, 2 Ap ….” University of Virginia Press. Accessed November 8, 2022. http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/06-02-02-0148. The Papers of Martha Washington. Accessed November 8, 2022. https://www.upress.virginia.edu/title/5473. Women in George Washington's World. Accessed November 8, 2022. https://www.upress.virginia.edu/title/5720.

Ellen Wayles Randolph to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 29 March 1819 In which Ellen Wayles Randolph passes quite a few judgments on some ladies in Richmond, and asks an old friend for a favor. My guest this week is the incomparable Danna Kelley, tour guide and house tour supervisor extraordinaire at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Further Reading: The Letter: https://tjrs.monticello.org/letter/1498 Alan Taylor, Thomas Jefferson's Education, W. W. Norton & Company, 2019. Thomas Jefferson's Granddaughter in Queen Victoria's England: The Travel Diary of Ellen Wayles Coolidge, 1838–1839 Ellen Wayles Coolidge. Edited by Ann Lucas Birle and Lisa A. Francavilla. Mary Randolph Randolph: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Randolph#:~:text=Mary%20Randolph%20(August%209%2C%201762,books%20of%20the%2019th%20century.

The Testimony of Anne Moody Part the last of Martha Washington's In-Laws! In which Anne Moody explains how she came to own so much silver plate with engravings of parrots. Also featuring: John Custis IV, and this time, he's REAL cranky. Further Reading: "an answer (incomplete) n.d., of Mrs. Anne Moody and Matthew Moody to a bill of complaint of Daniel Parke Custis in an unidentified court in Virginia." http://librarycatalog.virginiahistory.org/final/portal.aspx?lang=en-US My book: https://www.upress.virginia.edu/title/5473 John Custis to William Byrd II, 20 July 1724, ; John Custis to [Thomas Dunbar] 15 January 1724/25, in Custis, John, and Josephine Little Zuppan. The Letterbook of John Custis IV of Williamsburg, 1717-1742. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005, pg. 64, 68. John Custis IV Encyclopedia Virginia: https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/custis-john-1678-1749/ Daniel Parke Custis in Encyclopedia Virginia: https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/custis-daniel-parke-1711-1757/

Sarah Stewart to Dolley Madison, 5 July 1844 In which an enslaved woman who has been arrested (because Dolley Madison's son was in debt, and she and her community were held as collateral) writes to her enslaver. This week I am joined by Hilarie M. Hicks, Senior Research Historian at James Madison's Montpelier. Further Reading: Sarah Stewart to Dolley Payne Todd Madison, 5 July 1844, in The Dolley Madison Digital Edition, ed. Holly C. Shulman. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, Rotunda, 2004. http://rotunda.upress.virginia.edu/dmde/DPM1385 (accessed 2021-01-15). Watch this wonderful video exhibit from James Madison's Montpelier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsvQEdsSZ_8 Check out "A Mere Distinction of Colour": https://www.montpelier.org/resources/mere-distinction-of-colour Here's some of Hilarie's excellent work with the Naming Project: https://digitaldoorway.montpelier.org/2020/12/11/the-naming-project-catharine-caty-taylor/ This book rules: Taylor, Elizabeth Dowling. A Slave in the White House: Paul Jennings and the Madisons. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. And SUPPORT THE MONTPELIER DESCENDANTS COMMITTEE! https://www.change.org/p/support-the-montpelier-descendants-committee?recruiter=77829525&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=bbdcac5f-be54-4e53-b035-9ecbdb6b6b3c&share_bandit_exp=initial-32812090-en-US&utm_content=fht-32812090-en-us%3A0

In which John Custis IV and Frances Parke make an attempt to live "peace quietly" together. Part IV of the Martha Washington's in laws series. References: A Marriage Agreement. The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Jul., 1896, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Jul., 1896), pp. 64-66. John Custis: https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/custis-john-1678-1749/ Custis, John, and Josephine Little Zuppan. The Letterbook of John Custis IV of Williamsburg, 1717-1742 / Edited by Josephine Little Zuppan. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005. Brady, Patricia. Martha Washington : an American Life / Patricia Brady. New York: Viking, 2005.

Elizabeth Sharaf-un-Nisa to "Philo" In which a Mughal woman who co-habitated with and eventually married a white employee of the East India Company writes to her son about fat babies and beautiful black pigs. I am joined by Dr. Megan Robb, the Julie and Martin Franklin Assistant Professor of South Asian Religion at the University of Pennsylvania, who is creating a digital archive of Sharaf-un-Nisa's letters. This fantastic project is called Unstable Archives, and you can visit it here: https://unstable-archives.com/

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.

Selina Powell to Rebecca Powell, 7 Jan. 1850 In which a modern day accountant finds more in common with a Virginia family from the Civil War than she might have expected. Alison Herring joins me this episode to discuss her work in transcribing and publishing the letters of the Powell family. We talk about reading parties, genealogy, kissing bees (way more fun than spelling bees, imo), and more! MORE INFORMATION: More about Alison Herring: https://www.alisonherring.com/ Collections of Powell Papers at William & Mary: https://wm.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma991033314735403196&context=L&vid=01COWM_INST:01COWM_WM_NEWUI&lang=en&search_scope=WMCWF&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=Everything&query=any,contains,Powell%20Family

William Byrd II to Lucy Parke aka “Fidelia”, ca. 1705-6. In which there are a lot of old timey fart jokes. This is the second part of the Martha Washington's In-Laws series, featuring a letter from Colonial Virginian slave-holder and satirical writer, William Byrd II. Heads up, this episode contains mentions of brutal treatment of enslaved people and sexual violence. The Letter: Byrd, William, William III Byrd and Marion Tinling. The Correspondence of the Three William Byrds of Westover, Virginia, 1684-1776. Charlottesville: Published for the Virginia Historical Society [by] the University Press of Virginia, 1977. 1: 254-56. Further Reading: Paula A. Treckel, “The Empire of My Heart”: The Marriage of William Byrd II and Lucy Parke Byrd,” in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Spring, 1997, Vol. 105, No. 2, pp. 125-156. Peter Wagner, “The Female Creed”: A New Reading of William Byrd Ribald Parody, in Early American Literature, Fall, 1984, vol. 19. No. 2, Special European Issue, pp. 122-137. Cameron C. Nickels, and John H. O'Neill. "Upon the Attribution of "Upon a Fart" to William Byrd of Westover." Early American Literature 14, no. 2 (1979): 143-48. Accessed August 22, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25070929. Willie T. Weathers, “William Byrd: Satirist,” in The William and Mary Quarterly, Jan. 1947, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 27-41 Byrd, William, Wright, Louis B. (Louis Booker) (ed) and Tinling, Marion (joint ed). The Secret Diary of William Byrd of Westover, 1709-1712. Richmond, Va: The Dietz Press, 1941. Lockridge, Kenneth A., and Institute of Early American History and Culture (Williamsburg, Va.). The Diary and Life of William Byrd II of Virginia, 1674-1744. Published for the Institute of Early American History and Culture, Williamsburg, Va., by the University of North Carolina Press, 1987.

Martha Washington to Mercy Otis Warren, 26 December 1789 In which Martha Washington hits a very low point in her life, but tries to hide that fact from Mercy Otis Warren, a poet. historian, and satirist of Early America. I am joined by friend of the podcast Alexis Coe, the New York Times Bestselling Author of "You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George of Washington," now out in paperback, and "Alice+Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis," soon to be a major motion picture. MORE INFORMATION: The text of this letter will be published VERY soon in the collection of Martha Washington's Papers that Kathryn is working on. Mercy Otis Warren: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mercy-Otis-Warren George Washington's New England Tour: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-04-02-0112

Martin Van Buren to Judith Rives, 1 April 1835 In which Martin Van Buren chides his friend Judith Rives about being a Mrs. Nobody, patriotism, abolitionism, and New York tactics. I am joined this week by my respected colleague and name twin, Kathryn Blizzard. We only reference Seinfeld twice. REFERENCES: Martin Van Buren: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Martin-Van-Buren The Martin Van Buren Papers: http://vanburenpapers.org/ My ever beloved source on Parlor Politics: Allgor, Catherine. 2002. Parlor politics: in which the ladies of Washington help build a city and a government. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. "Bring Louis Phillippe to terms": https://www.loc.gov/resource/cph.3a12355/ The Toledo War: https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_etd/send_file/send?accession=bgsu1206135823&disposition=inline Thomas Ritchie ID: https://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaxtf/view?docId=lva/vi00174.xml The Cabells and their kin; a memorial volume of history, biography, and genealogy. Brown, Alexander, 1843-1906, Richmond, Va., Garrett and Massie, 1939, https://hdl.handle.net/2027/wu.89058675919.

Jane Ludwell Parke to Daniel Parke, July 12, 1705 In which Jane Ludwell Parke has HAD ENOUGH. This is the first part of what will be a multi-part series on Martha Washington's in-laws and the havoc they wreaked on Colonial Virginia. If you have a catchier name for this series, please submit it! Further Reading: The Text of this letter comes from: "Some New Aspects of the Life of Daniel Parke," by Edward W. Greenfield in The Virginia Magazine of Hiistory and Biography, Oct. 1946, vol. 54, no. 4, pp. 306-315 Not to cite myself but uh... (kinda citing myself) https://millercenter.org/president/washington/washington-papers/dunbar-lawsuit James Falkner's entry on Daniel Parke in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

Rosalie Stier Calvert to Marie Louise Stier, Riversdale, March 2 1804. In which "Madame Bonaparte" (Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte) scandalizes Washington by showing up to a party pretty much undressed, by U.S. fashion standards. Thomas Law, of course, writes a dirty poem about it. Aaron Burr is also involved. Thank you SO MUCH to my amazing guest, Dr. Cassandra Good. Everyone buy and read her book! The Letter: Callcott, Margaret Law, ed., Mistress of Riversdale: The Plantation Letters of Rosalie Stier Calvert, 1795-1821, (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1991), 77-78. More from Dr. Good: Good, Cassandra A. 2015. Founding friendships: friendships between men and women in the early American republic. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press. https://cassandragoodhistorian.com/ Resources: Louisa Catherine Johnston Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 11 Feb. 1804, Early Access Document, Adams Family Papers. Boyer Lewis, Charlene M. Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte: An American Aristocrat in the Early Republic, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012. Also see her objects at Maryland Center for History and culture: https://www.mdhistory.org/digital-resource/?search=elizabeth+patterson+bonaparte Riversdale House Museum: http://www.pgparks.com/3023/Riversdale-House-Museum

Martha Jefferson Randolph to Septimia A. Randolph, 29 Jan. 1829 In which Priscilla Hemmings, an enslaved nurse-maid to Thomas Jefferson's white grandchildren, refuses to do what the white family wants her to do. I'm joined this week by the delighful Lora Cooper, the Continuing Education Coordinator at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Further Reading: The letter: https://tjrs.monticello.org/letter/2485 MJR to TJ, 31 Jan. 1801: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-32-02-0375 More on Priscilla Hemmings: https://www.monticello.org/mulberry-row/people/priscilla-hemmings More on John Hemmings: https://www.monticello.org/mulberry-row/people/john-hemmings More on the sale of Monticello: https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/sale-monticello

Elizabeth Lichtenstein Johnston to William Martin Johnston, January 15, 1784 In which an exiled wife of a British loyalist teases her husband for maybe not knowing how old his son is, tries to figure out what to do once Britain cedes Florida to the Spanish, and tries to avoid ending up in Jamaica. Kathryn is joined by her friend from graduate school Sian Leach, who used this letter along with hundreds of others in her graduate thesis about loyalist women. Further Reading: Recollections of a Georgia Loyalist, Elizabeth Lichtenstein Johnston, New York and London, M. F. Mansfield & company, 1901. 217-219 for this letter. On Elizabeth Lichtenstein Johnston: https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/elizabeth-lichtenstein-johnston-1764-1848 “Shot Round the World but not Heard” Elizabeth Lichtenstein Johnston, by Ben Marsh, University of Stirling, December 2007. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/9049509.pdf The Other Side of Revolution: Loyalists in the British Empire, Maya Jasanoff, The William and Mary Quarterly Third Series, Vol. 65, No. 2 (Apr., 2008), pp. 205-232. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25096784

Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton to Elizabeth Schuyler Church, 8 Nov. 1789 Shortly after her husband became the first Secretary of the Treasury, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton had to once again part from her beloved sister Angelica, who was returning to England after a short visit to the United States. Public historian Jessie Serfilippi joins Kathryn to discuss the now famous Schuyler sisters, their relationship, and the Schuyler family as a whole, BEYOND just what you see in Hamilton. We also discuss Jessie's excellent article on Alexander Hamilton as a slaveholder. Further Reading: Jessie's Article: https://parks.ny.gov/documents/historic-sites/SchuylerMansionAlexanderHamiltonsHiddenHistoryasanEnslaver.pdf?te=1&nl=new-york-today&emc=edit_ur_20201111 Jessie's interview with Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/new-research-alexander-hamilton-slave-owner-180976260/ Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton to Angelica Church, 8 November 1789: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-05-02-0297-0002 Angelica Church to Alexander Hamilton, 5-7 November 1789: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-05-02-0290 Schuyler Mansion Historic Site Blog: https://schuylermansion.blogspot.com/search/label/slavery

Abigail "Nabby" Adams to John Quincy Adams, 27 Nov. 1785 In which Nabby Adams describes the Chevalier D'Eon as "a singular figure, as well as an extrordinary Character." Much has been written about the legendary D'Eon, and in this episode Julia Ftacek, a scholar of transgender femininity in 18th century literature, and Kathryn, discuss what D'Eon's life tells us about gender roles both in the 18th century and today. Further reading: Full text of the letter: http://www.masshist.org/publications/adams-papers/index.php/view/ADMS-04-06-02-0152 Ftacek, Julia, The body as Rorschach: Trans Interventions and the Trouble with History, Medium.com, 15 Feb. 2019. https://juliaftacek.medium.com/the-body-as-rorschach-trans-interventions-and-the-trouble-with-history-53057d530ead Gaillardet, Frédéric. 1970. The memoirs of Chevalier d'Éon. London: Blond. Robinson, Mary. Walsingham: Or, the Pupil of Nature. United States: Broadview Press, 2003. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Walsingham/kQc5AwAAQBAJ?hl=en Kates, Gary, "The Transgendered World of The Chevalier/Chevalière d'Eon," in The Journal of Modern History, Sept. 1995, pp. 558-594. Lander, James, "A Tale of Two Hoaxes in Britain and France in 1775," in The Historical Journal, Dec. 2006. pp. 995-1024 Kates, Gary. 2001. Monsieur d'Eon is a woman: a tale of political intrigue and sexual masquerade. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press.

PART 2 of Elizabeth Parke Custis Law to David Baillie Warden, 20 April, 1808. In which Kathryn and guest host Lizzy Thomas discuss 18th century gender roles, their respective emo phases, and whether Elizabeth Parke Custis Law was arrogant or confident. See previous episode notes for further reading!

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.

Elizabeth Willing Powel to John Hare Powel, 6-17 April 1809 In which Elizabeth Powel and her nephew bicker through letters over just how unreadable his handwriting is. She argues that "to your mother, it is algebra." Come for the familial banter, stay for the discussion of 18th century epistolary education! I am delighted to be joined this week by the ever lovely and intelligent Samantha Snyder, reference librarian at the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon. Further Reading: For more on Elizabeth Willing Powel and Jon Hare Powel's correspondence, see this Finding Aid from the Philadelphia Historical Society: https://hsp.org/sites/default/files/legacy_files/migrated/findingaidlcppowel.pdf More on Elizabeth Willing Powel: https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/elizabeth-willing-powel/ Richard Dury, "Handwriting and the Linguistic Study of Letters," in Studies in Late Modern English Correspondence, ed. Marina Dossena and Ingrid Tieken Boon van Ostade (Berlin: Peter Lang, 2008), 113-136. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Studies_in_Late_Modern_English_Correspon/zKpBOhu00ggC?hl=en&gbpv=0 James Alderson, "Orthographical exercises: in a series of moral letters. To which is added, a selection of essays, &c. taken from the best English writers," London, 1793.

Cornelia Jefferson Randolph to Virginia Jefferson Randolph Trist, 11 Aug. 1833 In which Thomas Jefferson's granddaughter Cornelia Jefferson Randolph describes the beating of an enslaved woman in the basement of their Washington, D.C. home. Further Reading: Read along with the text of this letter here: https://tjrs.monticello.org/letter/1241 They Were Her Property by Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/they-were-her-property-stephanie-e-jones-rogers/1129229955 More about Melinda and John Freeman: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-43-02-0223 Martha Jefferson Randolph on Willie: https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/charles-lewis-bankhead#footnote5_tw1n2ty "for my part I have lived so long among slaves that though I disapprove of the system as much as any one can do, I have quite an affection for them & like to be served by them." https://tjrs.monticello.org/letter/1219

Jane Austen to Cassandra Austen, 20 November 1800. In which Jane Austen describes a ball in more particular detail than she admits her sister Cassandra "may care for." In this episode Kathryn is joined by author, podcaster, and tabletop game designer Sasha Sienna. Check out more of Sasha's work here: Jane Austentations: https://www.buzzsprout.com/954943 MacGuffin & Company: https://www.macguffinandcompany.com/ on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/sashasienna Further Reading: The text of the letter: https://pemberley.com/janeinfo/brablet4.html#letter24 Jane Austen, Her Homes and Her Friends: http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/hill/austen/homes.html Jane Austen Biography: https://www.chipublib.org/jane-austen-biography/ I relied heavily on the ODNB entry on Jane Austen, which is unfortunately not freely available. If you have access to it, however, you should check it out!

Jane Welsh Carlyle to Jeannie Welsh, 2 January 1844 In which Jane Welsh Carlyle orders tobacco for her husband, describes a "guddle" of a dinner party, mentions her "first foot," and complains about an absolute PANCAKE of a hair-brush. Just me this week, folks! Happy holidays, and enjoy! Further Reading: Text of the letter: https://carlyleletters.dukeupress.edu/volume/17/lt-18440102-JWC-JW-01 Carlyle Letters Online Homepage: https://carlyleletters.dukeupress.edu/home Jane Welsh Carlyle: https://www.brainpickings.org/2018/10/02/jane-welsh-carlyle-love/ Giuseppe Mazzini: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Mazzini

Henrietta Marchant Liston to Dick Ramage, 6 March 1813 In which Henrietta Marchant Liston, married to diplomat Robert Liston, writes to her nephew about her experience so far in Constantinople. "We are out of your world it is true; but we are in the Oriental one." Many thanks to BOTH of this week's guests, Dora Petherbridge and Patrick Hart, two of the editors of Henrietta Liston's journals. More Sources: For the print edition of Henrietta Liston's Turkish Journals: https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-henrietta-liston-s-travels.html For the FANTASTIC digital resource, featuring Liston's journals and letters, as well as interactive maps, videos, and essays: https://digital.nls.uk/travels-of-henrietta-liston/listons/index.html

Tobias Lear to Catherine Littlefield Greene (Miller), 20 April 1790. In which George Washington's secretary gets flirty on a boat trip, on the way to propose to his childhood sweetheart. Yes, it's weird. Featuring the return of Mary Wigge as an excellent guest host! More sources: Tobias Lear - https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/tobias-lear Brighton, Ray. 1985. The checkered career of Tobias Lear. Portsmouth, NH: Portsmouth Marine Society. Catharine Littlefield Greene Miller - https://wams.nyhistory.org/settler-colonialism-and-revolution/the-american-revolution/catharine-littlefield-greene-miller/ Stegeman, John F., and Janet A. Stegeman. 1986. Caty: a biography of Catharine Littlefield Greene. Athens: University of Georgia Press. http://books.google.com/books?id=ayQaAQAAIAAJ. Greene to Hamilton, 30 May 1790 - https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-06-02-0323

Ellen Wayles Randolph Coolidge to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 20 November 1825. In which newlywed Ellen couldn't possibly complain about her circumstances... (Spoiler alert: she can.) Many thanks to the talented, funny, and knowledgeable research librarian at the Jefferson Library, Anna Berkes, for being my guest host! Learn more: See the full text of the letter here: http://tjrs.monticello.org/letter/1018 The quote about Joseph Coolidge's personality issues: Downs, Jacques M. "American Merchants and the China Opium Trade, 1800-1840." The Business History Review 42, no. 4 (1968): 418-42. Accessed November 10, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3112527. Mary's letter to Ellen: http://tjrs.monticello.org/letter/1014 The Browere incident! Jefferson's Take: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/98-01-02-5602 Mary's Take: http://tjrs.monticello.org/letter/1014 Browere's Take: Rhode-Island American (Providence, Rhode Island) LX, no. 7, November 1, 1825: [2]. Readex: America's Historical Newspapers. More on Edith Hern Fossett: https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/edith-hern-fossett

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)."

Flora MacDonald to John Mackenzie of Delvine, 12 August 1772 In which Scottish Jacobite Flora MacDonald, formerly imprisoned in the Tower of London for helping Charles Edward escape from Scotland, writes about her son's behavior and her plans to emigrate to America. MANY thanks to this week's guest, Dr. Jim Ambuske, host of the excellent podcast out of Mount Vernon: Conversations at the Washington Library. Further Reading: Check out Dr. Ambuske's podcast! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-at-the-washington-library/id1113901706 More on Flora MacDonald: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Flora-Macdonald Her portrait: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flora_MacDonald#/media/File:Floramacdonald2.jpg The text of the letter if you'd like to follow along: https://digital.nls.uk/emigration/preparing/macdonalds/letter-1772.html

Ellen Wayles Randolph (Coolidge) to Martha Jefferson Randolph, Washington, 14 Dec. 1821 In which Thomas Jefferson's granddaughter Ellen (the one with brittle teeth) absolutely eviscerates an unfortunate suitor in a letter to her mom. Also, "Mountains will be in labor, and an absurd mouse will be born." -Horace, Ars Poetica. Many thanks to this week's guest, Kate Johnson! Kate is an archival assistant at the University of Northern Colorado and public historian extraordinaire. Further Reading: The text of this week's letter can be found here: http://tjrs.monticello.org/letter/906 Ellen's sister Virginia writing to her fiance: http://tjrs.monticello.org/letter/904 Ellen's letter to Thomas Jefferson: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/98-01-02-2500 Madame De Neuville: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Marguerite_Hyde_de_Neuville as an artist: https://emuseum.nyhistory.org/objects/42102/selfportrait-17711849?ctx=1c92a5ceecfb354ff0776a8f6362e24936a66af7&idx=22

Eleanor Parke Custis (Lewis) to Elizabeth Bordley (Gibson), Washington City, Feb. 7th, 1796. What does George Washington's granddaughter have to do with the invention of race in the early U.S. republic? Find out in this week's episode! Many thanks to Allison Robinson, a PhD. candidate at the University of Chicago and predoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Institution for sharing her knowledge and being a lovely guest! Further Reading: The text of the letter is from "George Washington's beautiful Nelly : the letters of Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis to Elizabeth Bordley Gibson, 1794-1851," edited by Patricia Brady, University of South Carolina Press, 1991, pg. 23-25 This episode would not be possible without the INCREDIBLE RESEARCH of Rosemarie Zagarri of George Mason University. Her chapter "The Empire Comes Home: Thomas Law's Mixed Race Family in the Early Republic," pp. 75-108 in the book "India in the American Imaginary, 1780s-1880s", edited by A. Arora and R. Kaur, 2017, is where we got all of our information on Thomas Law. Eleanor Parke Custis: https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/eleanor-nelly-parke-custis/ Elizabeth Parke Custis: https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/elizabeth-parke-custis-law/ Japanning: https://www.britannica.com/art/japanning NARRATIVES/COUNTERNARRATIVES: TWO CENTURIES OF RACE, GENDER, AND CLASS IN AMERICAN MATERIAL CULTURE: https://voices.uchicago.edu/reproducingraceandgender/ John and Abigail Adams Letters: https://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/doc?id=L17960223ja&hi=1&query=nabob&tag=text&archive=all&rec=1&start=0&numRecs=3 https://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/doc?id=L17960305aa&rec=sheet&archive=all&hi=1&numRecs=3&query=nabob&queryid=&start=0&tag=text&num...

Ellen Wayles Randolph (Coolidge) to Martha Jefferson Randolph, Richmond, April 25th 1819. In which a squad of Thomas Jefferson's granddaughters have a fashion emergency, gold teeth glitter attractively in the firelight, and a hot dentist does not quite make up for the horrors of early 19th century dentistry. Content warning: The second half of this episode contains a vivid description of having a tooth pulled without painkillers. HUGE thanks to my guest this week, public historian Brontë De Cárdenas. Learn more: The letter: http://tjrs.monticello.org/letter/1503 The letter describing a dentist as an "Apollo": http://tjrs.monticello.org/letter/2401 Nisbet, William. The clinical guide, or, a concise view of the leading facts, on the history, nature, and treatment, of such local diseases as form the object of surgery. To which is subjoined, a surgical pharmacopoia, divided into three parts: viz. Materia Medica, classification, and extemporaneous prescription: Intended As a memorandum-book for practitioners. The second edition. By William Nisbet, M. D. Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinone of the Surgeons of the Royal Infirmart, &c. Edinburgh: printed for James Watson No 40. South Bridge. Sold also by J. Johnson, No 73. St Paul's Church-Yard London, 1800. Eighteenth Century Collections Online (accessed March 11, 2020). http://find.gale.com/ecco/infomark.do?&source=gale&docLevel=FASCIMILE&prodId=ECCO&userGroupName=viva_uva&tabID=T001&docId=CW3307238147&type=multipage&contentSet=ECCOArticles&version=1.0 Ellen Wayles Randolph Coolidge https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/ellen-wayles-randolph-coolidge Martha Jefferson Randolph https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/martha-jefferson-randolph

Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams, September 24, 1786 In which John Quincy Adams studies so much he makes himself dizzy, Mary Smith Cranch has some unkind things to say about Shay's Rebellion, and some incendiary gossip threatens to tear a family apart. Many thanks to this week's guest, Rachel Steinberg! And SUPER SPECIAL thanks to Gwen Fries, Editorial Assistant at the Adams Papers Editorial Project at the Massachusetts Historical Society for SENDING ME THIS LETTER! Learn more: Rachel R. Parker, "Shay's Rebellion: An Episode in American State-Making," Sociological Perspectives, vol. 34, no. 1 (Spring, 1991), pp. 95-113. The Adams Family Papers Electronic Archive: https://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/ The Massachusetts Historical Society Adams Family Papers Website: http://www.masshist.org/adams/adams-family-papers

Hannah Valentine to Eliza Valentine, November 1, 1837. In this week's letter, enslaved housekeeper Hannah Valentine writes to her daughter with family news and advice. I dig into a bit of the history of the unique situation of the Valentine family at Montcalm Plantation. Heads up, as this letter deals with the subject matter of slavery the podcast touches on some upsetting topics, including references to sexual violence, corporal punishment, and murder. It is also a story of perseverance and survival. Learn more about Hannah Valentine and the community at Abingdon Plantation in some of these sources: The Duke Library's Digitized Collection of Hannah Valentine and Lethe Jackson's Letters: https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/scriptorium/campbell/ Norma Taylor Mitchell, "Making the Most of Life's Opportunities," in Beyond Image and Convention : Explorations in Southern Women's History, edited by Janet L. Coryell, et al., University of Missouri Press, 1998. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uva/detail.action?docID=3570732. Gregory S. Schneider, "The Forced Absence of Slavery: Rare letters to a Virginia governor give voice to the faceless and forgotten," The Washington Post, September 13, 2017.

Cornelia Jefferson Randolph to Jane H. Nicholas Randolph, 18 January 1818. One of Thomas Jefferson's granddaughters writes to her sister-in-law about parties, shallow friendships, and an embarrassing incident on the dance floor. Kathryn is joined this week by Mary Wigge, a research editor of Martha Washington's papers. You can read the full transcribed text of this letter (along with the original handwritten document!) here: http://tjrs.monticello.org/letter/754 For more information on Cornelia Jefferson Randolph visit here: https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/cornelia-jefferson-randolph And for more information on Jane Hollins Nicholas Randolph visit here: https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/jane-hollins-nicholas-randolph

In this week's letter George Washington forgets that he left all of his wife's correspondence in a desk that he sold to his close friend, Elizabeth Willing Powel. She immediately drags him for it, but is a good enough buddy to offer to hide his mistake from Martha. Many thanks to this week's guest expert Samantha Snyder, reference librarian at the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon! Keep an eye out for her chapter in a forthcoming book about George Washington's female friends and family, set for publication in January 2021! The full text of Elizabeth Willing Powel to George Washington, 11-13 March 1797 can be found on Founders Online here: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/06-01-02-0020 For more on Elizabeth Wiling Powel: https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/elizabeth-willing-powel/ For more on Tobias Lear: https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/tobias-lear Or, check out my personal favorite book on Tobias Lear with a cool rhyming title: Brighton, Ray. The Checkered Career of Tobias Lear. Portsmouth, NH: Portsmouth Marine Society, 1985.

Martha Washington to Frances Bassett Washington, 15 June 1794. The original manuscript letter can be found at the Rosenbach Museum and Library. Martha Washington writes to her niece about worms, the yellow fever, spinets, and enslaved people. Notes and suggestions for further reading: The London Practice of Physic, (London: Printed for Robinson, Baldwin, and Bew in Paternoster-Row 1785.) William Pearce, Washington Library Digital Encyclopedia. 1794 Philadelphia Directory, page 117. https://archive.org/details/philadelphiadire1793phil Carey, Matthew, A Short Account of the Malignant Fever, Lately Prevalent in Philadelphia (Philadelphia: Printed by the Author, 1793). Reports on the Yellow Fever Epidemic, 1793. https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/reports-yellow-fever-epidemic-1793#:~:text=Between%20August%201%20and%20November,and%20skin%20of%20the%20victims.

Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant is a biweekly history podcast that showcases the 18th and early 19th century women's letters that don't always make it into the history books. Check out our trailer! First episode posts next week, Tuesday, June 24, 2020.