R. Lee Wilson is the author of the new biography Women's Crusader: Catharine Beecher's Untold Story. A historian and former CEO, he lives in Florida and in Connecticut.
Q: What inspired you to write this biography of educator and writer Catharine Beecher (1800-1878)?
A: I was first introduced to Catharine Beecher in a course I took at Columbia University on the history of women in America. I was amazed by Beecher’s advocacy for women’s education and her widespread fame as a bestselling author in the 19th century.
And yet when I talked to my friends, no one had ever heard of her. So, I decided to write a book to raise awareness of Beecher to help her achieve the greater recognition she deserves.
The thing I admire most about Catharine Beecher is her selfless crusade to improve the lives of American women in the face of opposition from a misogynist male establishment. It was the inspiration for the book’s title, Women’s Crusader.
And yet as a young woman, she was better known as an outgoing romantic with a wide circle of friends. Those who knew Catharine best called her Kate. The question that intrigued me was what caused a lighthearted romantic to become a pioneer advocate for women’s education?
The answer that emerged from my research was the untold story of her relationship with Alexander Fisher. It was a touching love story with a poignant ending. He died in a tragic shipwreck off the coast of Ireland before they could marry. His death and events during her bereavement proved to be the turning point in Kate’s life.
Yet there is surprisingly little written about Kate’s connections with Alexander and his family. Some of it was overlooked, but important evidence was deliberately destroyed.
Fortunately, surviving letters between Kate, her father, Lyman and her best friend, Louisa Wait, allowed me to piece the story together. It became the core of my book which focuses on this slice of her life. It was the inspiration for the subtitle – Catharine Beecher’s Untold Story.
Q: How did you research her life, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?
A: The best historians are great detectives. For me, that means taking deep dives into the lives and relationships of my characters.
The untold story of Kate’s relationship with Alexander came from a trove of unpublished letters and manuscripts at the Schlesinger Library and the Stowe Center. They provided an excellent perspective on Kate’s personality and emotions.
The sense of Alexander’s character came from his personal letters, diaries and manuscripts which are housed at Yale’s Beinecke Library.
This intimate understanding of both individuals and a careful chronology of correspondence provided the pieces to reconstruct their romance.
The context of Kate’s life was quite important in telling this story. Dozens of published and unpublished sources provided an appreciation for unfamiliar 19th century courtship practices and religious beliefs. These were critical to understand the expectations Kate faced.
A sense of place brings a story to life. There are things that a discerning observer learns on site that cannot be found in a library. Two of my more interesting discoveries were made during visits to a cemetery in Massachusetts and the rocky cliffs near Kinsale, Ireland.
There were two major surprises for me in this story. The biggest was the critical role that music played as an emotional connection between Kate and Alexander. They were both talented musicians and it was at the piano that they fell in love.
The second big surprise was the intimate relationship that developed between Kate and Alexander’s mother after his death. During her bereavement, Kate lived with the Fisher family for several months.
It was during this time that she and his mother Sally jointly read Alexander’s letters, diaries and manuscripts. This experience forged a consequential bond. It was a major clue about what happened to Kate’s love letters.
Q: How would you describe Catharine Beecher’s relationships with her famous relatives, including her sister, Harriet Beecher Stowe?
A: Beecher’s relationship with her famous relatives evolved over time. So, the answer to that question depends on when. As a child, she adored her father. He wanted a playmate that he never had as an only child. He was a passionate, fun-loving role model for her. But as she matured, his marital and religious expectations for her eventually weakened the connection.
As the oldest child, Kate was the undisputed leader of merriment among her siblings. But as she pursued her career, they gradually tired of her intellectual arguments and her perennial status as a self-invited houseguest.
Kate had an interesting relationship with her famous sister, Harriet Beecher Stowe. Harriet was 10 years younger than Kate and became a student and later a teacher at Kate’s first school in Hartford. Kate sacrificed her own career to take care of her sister’s family while Harriet finished her blockbuster novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
But Kate was overshadowed by her younger sister and at times the sisters grew more distant. But late in life, they collaborated on an updated version of Kate’s bestselling advice book.
Q: What do you see as Catharine Beecher’s legacy today?
A: Beecher’s important legacy is her advocacy for women’s education. Education continues to be critical for women’s progress in the 21st century. Women during the early 19th century were prepared by their parents primarily for matrimony.
But Kate Beecher aimed to change that. She was determined to teach women the academic subjects normally reserved to men. She believed that knowledge would empower women to improve their own lives and those of their families.
It was pioneers like Emma Willard, Mary Lyon, and Catharine Beecher who paved the way for progress. By the time Beecher retired, women were routinely taught advanced mathematics, chemistry, physics and foreign languages in public schools. This built a foundation for later feminist leaders like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
Beecher believed that women’s education and health care were more immediate priorities, so she opposed suffrage for much of her career but ultimately embraced it.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am considering a new “turning point” story. It is set in the early 19th century and builds on my recent research.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: If you want to learn more, there are three short videos on my website www.rleewilson.com.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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