She was alive during the American Revolution and then during the French Revolution, and she was outspokenly in favor of the democratic ideals that inspired both of them. She wrote powerfully and persuasively on issues like slavery (the slave trade was still going strong in those days), freedom of religion (she was a Presbyterian, and not a member of the official Church of England, so this was a major issue for her), revolution and reform. She wrote not only poetry, but also religious hymns, books for children, and essays on the political issues of her day. She liked writing, and she was encouraged by her family. So little Anna managed to get the same kind of well-rounded education that was usually reserved for boys in the 18th century.Īnd she put that education to good use. But what wasn't so common was that she also persuaded her father to teach her all the stuff he taught to the boys at his school: Latin, Greek, French, world history, you name it. She received a basic education from her mother, which was common in those days. Her father ran a school for boys, so other than her mother, she hardly spoke to any other women as she was growing up, and she didn't have any close female friends. Anna Laetitia Barbauld (1743-1825) grew up surrounded by dudes.
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