THE GLEANER Judith Sargent Murray

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In 1790, Judith Sargent Murray became the first American to publicly argue that men and women were equal. Hailing from seafaring Gloucester Massachusetts, she educated herself, weathered some of life’s cruelest storms, and published hundreds of bold, brave essays. She expected to rock the boat, steering her new American nation toward equality. And America went…meh. Why? Join Katie on location at Sargent House Museum in Gloucester.

Judith Sargent Murray’s Unitarian Universalist Catechism is available here. Find the full text of Sargent Murray’s essay “On the Equality of the Sexes” from the National Humanities Center here and a good analysis of her essay here. Or watch another interesting talk on Judith Sargent Murray by scholar of American Revolution Women Dr. Carol Berkin.

All photos by Katie Nelson unless otherwise credited.

Judith Sargent Murray’s “writing closet” where she wrote her groundbreaking essays.

Judith Sargent Murray’s writing desk in her bedroom’s “writing closet.”

Judith Sargent Murray’s portrait with her bedroom reflected in the background.

The cradle in Judith Sargent Murray’s bedroom.

Copies of “The Gleaner” and other of Judith Sargent Murray’s works on display at Sargent House.

Gloucester Fishermen’s Memorial statue.
Photo by Emily Stoll.

Katie Nelson and Jen Turner look out on the harbor from Sargent House.
photo by Emily Stoll

Jen Turner is a doctoral candidate in history at UMass Amherst and a long time adjunct faculty member in the history department at Bridgewater State University. She is also a museum professional and has worked at various museums throughout Massachusetts, including the Paul Revere House and Plimoth Patuxet Museums. Currently, she is the part-time Museum Educator at the Buttonwoods Museum in Haverhill, Mass and the Lead Tour Guide, Curatorial Associate, and Site Manager of the Sargent House Museum in Gloucester, Massachusetts. She is the harried mother of a toddler son born in the middle of a global pandemic and a first grader who may or may not like history as much as her mother.

Music featured in this episode included: