The Margaret Ghost, by Carole Braverman,  premiered at the Berkeley Repertory Theater in 1984, and has been produced three times in the Boston area.  A revival by the local theater company Theater@First is planned for the Spring, as part of the bicentennial celebration.   The play follows the epic sweep of Margaret Fuller’s extraordinary  life—from Boston, to New York, to Rome.  But while much is actual, much is imagined, and the play is not for purists.  What it seeks to capture is her dazzling intellect, her bold resilient wit, and the struggle of her visionary, expansive spirit against the confines of her Nineteenth Century World.  The title comes from Henry James’ brief, enigmatic reference to her in his biography of Nathaniel Hawthorne.               Click here to read Act One.

 

 

MARGARET FULLER BICENTENNIAL SERMON CONTEST Sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Historical Society and the Margaret Fuller Bicentennial Committee A new one-time only award will be given in 2010 for the best sermon drawing on the life and work of Margaret Fuller. The sermon may feature her life story, her work, and/or her writings, as they apply to the concerns and issues of today. A $350 award for the best sermon will be given at General Assembly 2010. The sermon will be published on the Bicentennial website, www.margaretfuller.org.  The goals of this contest are:

• To promote greater awareness of the importance of Margaret Fuller, Unitarian foremother
• To encourage congregations to celebrate Margaret Fuller Sunday at some time during year. Her 200th birthday is May 23, 2010.
• To develop ongoing resources for the continuing study of Margaret Fuller

Both ministers and lay leaders may submit sermons. Sermons may have already been delivered or be scheduled for delivery during 2010.  A Worship Resources Guide for Margaret Fuller Sunday will be published on the UUA Worship Web in February 2010. SUBMISSION PROCESS: Deadline is May 31, 2010. Electronic submission preferred.

• Include cover page, separate from the text, with name, address, phone number, email, date and location of sermon delivery.
• Submit in MS Word, Rich Text Format, or Plain Text to sermon@margaretfuller.org or mail to: Margaret Fuller Bicentennial, c/o Rainbow Solutions, 225 Arlington St, Medford, MA 02155

SUBMISSION TERMS AND CONDITIONS: By submitting your sermon for consideration, you agree to grant the Unitarian Universalist Historical Society and the Margaret Fuller Bicentennial Committee a non-exclusive, three year, royalty-free license to publish your sermon in publications and websites of these two groups. You also guarantee that your submission is an original work and, to the best of your knowledge, does not copy or otherwise infringe anyone else's work. And, you grant us the right to edit your work for space saving considerations. Attribution will be made each time your work is published. As the copyright owner, you have the right to use the sermon as you see fit at any time. For more information, please contact Rev. Gordon Gibson at ggibson@uuma.org or Rev. Dr. Dorothy May Emerson at info@margaretfuller.org

 
“WHY MARGARET FULLER MATTERS”
TRAVELING DISPLAY

“Why Margaret Fuller Matters” is a series of text-and-image panels designed to answer the fundamental question of why this great nineteenth-century figure remains important two centuries after her birth. This display, created during Margaret Fuller’s Bicentennial, is now available to libraries, schools, community organizations, and Unitarian Universalist congregations for the cost of shipping and an optional donation.

For those who have heard of Margaret Fuller only through her connection with her colleagues, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Bronson Alcott, Elizabeth Peabody, and other Transcendentalists, the display will allow them to honor Fuller’s own ideas and contributions. For those who have never heard of Fuller, the display will reveal how her work impacted the actors of the “second revolution” of the nineteenth century—those who dedicated themselves to applying the ideals of the American (“first”) Revolution through courageous actions grounded in revolutionary philosophy and literature.

The ten colorful 24-inch x 18-inch foam core panels that comprise “Why Margaret Fuller Matters” include: an introductory panel; brief sketches of her key colleagues; a chronological telling of her life and her views on women’s rights, education (especially female), class, slavery, American Indian rights, religion, Transcendentalism, her world view as a trans-nationalist, and her vision of a just world.

The Margaret Fuller Bicentennial Committee believes that this major figure matters because virtually every woman in the Western world who has determined her own destiny, who has forged her own spiritual life, who votes, who enjoys legal rights and full citizenship, who has sought political office, and who is free to use her intellect and talents freely without condemnation stands on Margaret Fuller’s shoulders. There are few individuals in our past to whom we can point and say, “That one person changed the course of history for the better.” Margaret Fuller was such a person.

The author and designer of the display is Bonnie Hurd Smith, who created a similar display on Emerson during his Bicentennial year in 2003. Smith, the author of numerous books on historical subjects, particularly women’s history, also is an accomplished graphic designer.

To arrange for this display at your location, please contact Gretchen Ohmann at info@uuwr.org or call (269) 369-1114. You are responsible for the cost of shipping.   A suggested donation of $100 or whatever you can afford would also be appreciated but is not required. Your contributions help keep the display available.

www.margaretfuller.org

TRAVELING DISPLAY REQUEST FORM

Display Location ___________________________________________________

Address _________________________________________________________

Website___________________________  Phone ________________________

Contact Person ___________________________________________________

Email _____________________________ Phone ________________________

Plans for display: Please describe the setting, events you envision happening in conjunction with the display, and audiences you plan to invite to participate.

Please indicate your date preference as well as the length of time you’d like to keep the display.

1st choice ________________________________________________________

2nd choice ________________________________________________________

Costs:
• Shipping costs via Federal Express Ground C.O.D. will vary depending on the distance, generally $15 – 20 for the center of the country, $40 - $50 coast to coast. Please initial your agreement to cover round trip shipping costs.   ________________
• Donation: suggested amount: $100.
A donation is not required; we are grateful for whatever amount you feel you can afford
         Please estimate the amount of your donation ___________________
 Please indicate when you can send the donation _____________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

Please make donations payable to UU Women & Religion and send c/o Patti Clark, Treasurer, 3224 Timmons Lane #165, Houston TX 77027

Thank you!

  
DOWNLOAD this form in PDF format.

 

We are proud to work with the following Community Partners to celebrate the Margaret Fuller Bicentennial.  Please follow the links to learn more about these organizations.

Boston Women's Heritage Trail

Boston Tea Campaign

Cambridge Historical Commission

Cambridge Women's Heritage Project

Houghton Library, Harvard University

Hurd-Smith Communications

Jamaica Plain Historical Society

Net-Age, Inc.

Rainbow Solutions, Inc.

Theatre@First

Zonta Club of Medford, MA

 

For more information on becoming a Community Partner, click here.

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Visit Mount Auburn Cemetery on Margaret Fuller's 199th Birthday

9:30 AM on Saturday, May 23, 2009

Pyrola Path

Mount Auburn Cemetery -- Cambridge, Massachusetts

Every year on Margaret Fuller’s birthday, Jessica Lipnack, a Margaret enthusiast and Boston author, visits the Fuller family plot at Mount Auburn Cemetery to celebrate Margaret's birthday. Come join the celebration and learn about Margaret's relatives, many of whom are buried there, including her parents and her famous descendent, Buckminster Fuller. Enjoy a short reading from Margaret's work, some tidbits about Margaret's life, and, of course, singing Happy Birthday to this most remarkable of women.

READ Jessica Lipnack's article, "By Genius Belonging to the World."

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Hedge Club Meeting in Cambridge

May 23, 2009 (10:00 am)

Join the Hedge Club (or Transcendental Club) in 2009 at First Parish in Cambridge (Unitarian Universalist) at 3 Church Street, Cambridge to learn more about Margaret Fuller and her involvement with Transcendentalism and its leading figures. New members are welcome.

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Reception for Margaret Fuller's 199th Birthday

Saturday, May 23, 2009 from 5 to 7 pm
First Parish in Cambridge (Unitarian Universalist)
3 Church Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge
Light refreshments
Suggested donation: $25

Learn about plans for the Margaret Fuller Bicentennial including talks, tours, school projects, dramatic readings, “Conversations,” exhibits, and more! How can you or your organization participate? Join us to find out!

Greetings and presentations:
• “Margaret Fuller” (aka Jessa Piaia)
• Laurie James (actor, author, Bicentennial Committee —New York area)
• Megan Marshall (author, historian)
• Judith Strong Albert (independent scholar, American Literature Association)
• Jacqueline Schwab (pianist, historical documentaries by PBS filmmaker Ken Burns)
• Jessica Lipnack (filmmaker, author)
• Melody Lee (First Parish in Cambridge Women’s Sacred Circle)
• Dorothy Emerson (Unitarian Universalist minister, Bicentennial Committee—New England area)

Proceeds from the event benefit the Margaret Fuller Bicentennial and will be matched by the Fund for Unitarian Universalism.

Sponsorships for the Bicentennial are also welcome
(and tax deductible) at the following levels:
• Friends ($25-$49)
• Conversationalists ($50-$99)
• Scholars ($100-$499)
• Revolutionaries ($500-$999)
• Visionaries ($1,000+)

Margaret Fuller Bicentennial
Committee—New England Area

Rev. Dorothy May Emerson
Bicentennial Coordinator

Sarah Burks
Cambridge Historical Commission

Barbara Kibler
Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House

Faith Ferguson
Old Manse, Concord

Jessica Lipnack
Author, CEO, NetAge

Bonnie Hurd Smith
Hurd Smith Communications

Rev, Elizabeth Stevens
Unitarian Universalist Historical Society

Rob Velella
Longfellow National Historic Site

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UUA General Assembly 2009

June 24, 2009 (10:00 am)

Salt Lake City, Utah
General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. Look for a display and resources on the Margaret Fuller Bicentennial at the UU Historical Society and UU Women’s Heritage Society booth (# 532), plus additional resources at the Southwest UU Women and UU Women and Religion booth (# 731). Keep track of women's events and activities on the UU Women and Religion blog!

The 2010 General Assembly will feature programs on the Margaret fuller Bicentennial.

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A Sweet Soul Supper '09

July 18, 2009 (7:00 pm)

The Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House presents:
A Sweet Soul Supper '09 – it’s a family celebration!

Saturday July 18th, 2009 from 7 to 11 PM
at 142 Memorial Drive, MIT's Walker Memorial in Cambridge

Come one, come all to enjoy A Sweet Soul Supper '09 - a celebratory evening packed with dancing, live music, and a delicious soul food feast. The annual fundraiser helps support over 2,700 Cambridge residents who benefit from the non profit Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House (MFNH) - the birthplace of journalist and women’s right activist Sarah “Margaret Fuller” Ossoli.

The family friendly evening will include a silent auction and musical guests Kolors International Band and Peter Hi-Fi Ward Group. Master of ceremonies Cambridge City Councilor Ken Reeves feels “honored to support the MFNH” and to present the "Lieutenant Kenney Spirit Award” to Paul Parravano of MIT who like Lt. Kenney exemplifies “community involvement in great ways.” The “Family Award” will be presented to Area 4 resident Theresa Stevens & her family.

Supporters purchase your tickets today: $75 for individuals, $130 for couples, and $40 for seniors and students. For tickets and more details about our electrifying event call (617) 547-4680 or visit http://www.margaretfullerhouse.org/news_events.htm. Business owners can still donate items to the silent auction by emailing event planners at sweetsoulsupper09@gmail.com

Your contribution to A Sweet Soul Supper '09 will benefit MFNH programs that “build community” with hundreds of neighbors in Area 4 and city-wide: scholarships for youth in our after school and summer camp School Age program; the Emergency Food Pantry; a Community Technology Center with free adult computer classes; outreach to at-risk young adults; and our focus on community celebrations that strengthen the Area 4 neighborhood by involving all ages and cultures.

Contact Toni Bee SSS ’09 Publicity Coordinator:
Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House
71 Cherry Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 547-4680

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Meet Margaret Fuller: "...food and fire for the mind as well as the body."

August 08, 2009 (2:00 pm)

Meet Margaret Fuller at the Longfellow House Garden. It's August 1846, and Miss Fuller has traveled to town for an appointment with Mr. Longfellow to discuss Poetry and The Muse. As she waits for Mr. Longfellow, Margaret will speak about her days in Cambridge and Boston, her activities and friends within the Transcendentalist group, and discuss upcoming plans to embark for Europe as the first female "foreign correspondent" for the New York Tribune.

Location: 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. The program is free & open to the public.

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"CHARM" play workshop

November 19, 2009 (12:00 - noon)

The play, "CHARM," which features Margaret Fuller as its main character, will receive an expanded workshop at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Orlando, Florida from November 19-22, 2009. The original play, written by Kathleen Cahill of the University of Utah, was awarded an honorable mention by the Jane Chambers Playwriting Awards committee in 2009. The Orlando Shakespeare Theater production will include four performances and will be directed by New York Director, Meg Gibson. The official world premiere will be staged in Salt Lake City from April 14-May 9, 2010.

Workshop details and performance times not yet announced. Please contact the theater for more information, http://www.orlandoshakes.org/.

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Roots of Rebellion

November 22, 2009 (1:15 pm)

The Community Church of New York, 40 E. 35th St, New York City, 1:15 P.M.

"Roots of Rebellion," a staged docu-drama with audience participation, developed and directed by Laurie James, commemorating the first women in America who dared to speak out on public platforms; featuring actors portraying Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Angelina Grimke, Francis Wright, and others.

Contact: Reenakondo@verizon.net.

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Margaret Speaks in Cambridge

December 03, 2009 (10:30 am)

Margaret Speaks in Cambridge

Jessa Piaia will be presenting the historical character portrayal of Sarah Margaret Fuller as part of the speakers series at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education at the Blacksmith House, 57 Brattle Street, in Harvard Square, on Thursday, Dec 3rd at 10:30 am. The program is free & open to the public.

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Hymn Competition Submission Deadline

January 10, 2010 (5:00 pm)

UUA Margaret Fuller Bicentennial Committee Announces
Hymn Competition

To honor Margaret Fuller’s 200th birthday the UUA Margaret Fuller Bicentennial Committee is sponsoring a hymn competition.

Specifications:
• Composers are encouraged to use the provided text (see lyrics below), which was written by Dr. Ed Thompson, though other texts will be considered. Any entries using alternate texts should include either a statement that lyrics are original, documentation that the text is in the public domain, or a signed and dated agreement from the copyright holder granting permission to use the text.
• The hymn should be suitable for worship and the melody should be appropriate for congregational singing. Entries will be evaluated according to performance by a group of amateur singers.
• Hymn should include accessible keyboard accompaniment and/or guitar chords.
• Additional instrumentation or descants may be included, but should not be essential to the effective performance of the hymn in a worship service.

Submission requirements:
• Cover letter with composer contact information
• Please submit two printed copies. Copies should not include composer’s name. Music should be set in Finale™, Sibelius™ or other music publishing software. PDF files will be acceptable.
• All entries must be postmarked by January 10, 2010.
• Send submissions to:
Elizabeth Norton
First Parish in Concord
20 Lexington Road
Concord, MA 01720
• Electronic submissions will also be accepted. They must be dated by midnight on January 15, 2010. Electronic entries should include cover e-mail with composer contact info and PDF file of the score that complies with the specifications above. Please send electronic submissions to elizabethhnorton@gmail.com.

The winning composer will receive a $500.00 prize. The winning hymn will be announced and distributed to UU congregations in time for services on Margaret Fuller’s 200th birthday on May 23, 2010. The winning hymn will also be sung at a special program honoring the Margaret Fuller Bicentennial at the 2010 General...

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Bicentennial Preview Reception

January 13, 2010 (2:00 pm)

You are invited to a special preview of the Margaret Fuller Bicentennial

Follen Church

755 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA

Enjoy some refreshments, meet the Bicentennial Committee, hear a little "promo" for each of the events--and take a few minutes to enjoy some of Margaret's inspiration. Please join us and bring along your favorite quote!

For more information about the Bicentennial, please visit www.margaretfuller.org.

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"Quips, Gibes, Excoriations, Stones, and Mud that Fuel the Superiority of Margaret Fuller"

January 16, 2010 (12:00 - noon)

Saturday, January 16, 2010, noon-3:00 P.M., UU Women's Association Luncheon. All are welcome.
"Quips, Gibes, Excoriations, Stones, and Mud that Fuel the Superiority of Margaret Fuller," a talk and conversation with Laurie James on Margaret Fuller and her Bicentennial, The Gallery, 28 E. 35th Street, New York City, $12-$20 sliding scale for lunch.

Please RSVP to Reenakondo@verizon.net by Jan. 9th.

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"Margaret Fuller: Woman of the Nineteenth Century" exhibit at Houghton Library

January 21, 2010 (9:00 am)

"Margaret Fuller: Woman of the Nineteenth Century" is an exhibit on view at the Houghton Library of Harvard University from January 21, 2010 to March 26, 2010. The exhibition is guest curated by Rob Velella.

The exhibition from the Modern Books and Manuscripts Collection of the Houghton Library is part of a series of events in honor of Margaret Fuller's bicentennial in 2010. The Library is open to the public on Monday, Friday, and Saturday 9:00 A.M. - 5:00, and on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 9:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M. Closed on Sundays. A guided tour of the library is offered each Friday at 2:00 P.M.

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Exhibit at Harvard's Houghton Libary

January 21, 2010 (5:30 pm)

On January 21, 2010, Harvard University's Houghton Library will have an opening reception for its exhibit titled, "Margaret Fuller: Woman of the Nineteenth Century" which will be on view until March 26. The reception begins at 5:30 P.M. and will take place in the Edison Newman Room of Houghton Library. http://hcl.harvard.edu/libraries/houghton/

Credited as the first woman granted permission to do research at Harvard, Margaret Fuller lived her life in pursuit of education. Given a rigorous early education by her father, she became a teacher herself. At a time when women were seldom granted access to higher education, she compensated with a series of "conversations" for women. Through journalism and personal essays, she educated the country on women's issues, the problems of slavery, the plight of Native Americans, and reported from a war-torn Italy. This exhibit explores her various pursuits in honor of the 200th anniversary of Fuller's birth in Cambridge.

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Foredoomed: A Voyage to Fuller Living

January 28, 2010 (7:00 pm)

"Foredoomed: A Voyage to Fuller Living"
adapted by Paul Coleman from the one-act play,"The Ghosts of Margaret Fuller" by Fred Keefe

The program part of the evening will be a full-length, formal reading of this 8-character play. The cast will be all-female including the 5 male historical characters. The setting will be candle-lit with participants in formal dress.

The First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palm Beaches
635 Prosperity Farms Road
North Palm Beach, Florida 33408
651 627 6105

For more information, contact:

Paul Coleman, Pastoral Associate
561 635 9246

samovar.paul@gmail.com

http://www.uunpb.org/

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Margaret Fuller Shapes the Consciousness of America Through the New York Tribune

January 31, 2010 (11:00 am)

"Margaret Fuller Shapes the Consciousness of America Through the New York Tribune"

This Sunday service celebrates the extraordinary reporting of Margaret Fuller as the first woman social and literary critic and foreign correspondent for Horace Greeley's New York Tribune from 1844 to 1850.

Theologian and educator Michael Barnett shares Margaret's insightful work for women's rights, social justice, and democracy as relevant for us today.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Wyoming Valley 20 Church Road Wyoming, PA 18644

Jon Hart, 570-283-5907 or jhart@luzerne.edu

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First Tuesday Program: Margaret Fuller and the Transcendentalists

February 02, 2010 (7:00 pm)

"Margaret Fuller and the Transcendentalists" by Rev. Jenny Rankin, First Parish in Concord
Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 7:00 P.M. - 8:30 P.M.

Please join the Jamaica Plain Historical Society and the Jamaica Plain Tuesday Club for a “First Tuesday” program in celebration of the Margaret Fuller Bicentennial in 2010. The program will take place at the Loring-Greenough House, 12 South Street, Jamaica Plain, Mass. 02130

Margaret Fuller was an author, editor, journalist, literary critic, educator, Transcendentalist, and women’s rights advocate.

She helped educate the women of her day by leading a series of Conversations in which women were empowered to read, think and discuss important issues of the day. Her numerous accomplishments will be discussed during the event.

Rev. Rankin has been a minister at First Parish in Concord since 1997 and has taught classes on Emerson, Thoreau, Fuller and the Transcendentalists. She has also led a trip to Italy to “trace the steps of the Transcendentalists.”

This event is free and open to the public.

For directions, see http://loring-greenough.org/about/directions/.

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Margaret Fuller Conversation Salon

February 06, 2010 (2:00 pm)

Margaret Fuller Conversation Salon

Beverly Unitarian Church
10244 S. Longwood Dr., Chicago, Illinois

Bring your questions, concerns, and hopes for yourself and UU sisters. Questions such as…

• What are we UU women thinking today?
• What are we born to?
• What do we talk about? Think about? Read about?
• What are we silent about?
• What does women’s leadership look like today?
• Where do we find ourselves in relation to the world?
• What has changed since the UU Women and Religion Resolution of 1977?
• How integrated are feminisms into our religious movement?
• How does this all fit in with our individual spiritual journeys?

Who was Margaret Fuller? How are we honoring the work of our foremother in the 200th year of the anniversary of her birth? The Connection is honored to celebrate Margaret Fuller, a UU foremother and feminist intellectual of the early 19th Century, who held conversations in Cambridge each fall and spring as a means to support herself and her siblings at a time when women had no public voice, higher education, vote or even a say in custody of their dependant children. Weekly the women discussed and explored topics of importance them including “what is the meaning of life.” UN Resolution 1325 (2000) mandates that women be involved in all peace negotiations. Is feminism taking a striking new direction? Is service to the world feminism’s next step? Can visionary feminist theory be turned into action?

CMwD UU Women’s Connection (successor organization to the CMwD UU Women’s Federation) is pleased to offer a Margaret Fuller Conversation Salon when we visit Beverly for First Quarter Council meeting. We will gather with women, share a reading and short biography of Margaret Fuller, then discuss questions that concern UU women--personally and institutionally.

Every group is unique and so is the discussion that comes out of each gathering. Bring your original voice to share.

For more information about the UU Women’s Connection, please go to www.uuwomensconnection.org

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"The Measure of My Footstep," Worship Service

February 21, 2010 (10:30 am)

Worship service includes a meditation using "Dryad" by Margaret Fuller and women composers as a prelude and offertory.

West Valley Unitarian Universalist Church
5409 W Cholla Street, Glendale AZ 85304

Rev. Paul Langston-Daley, 623-251-0177 or minister@wvuu.org

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"Margaret Fuller and Transcendentalism"

February 26, 2010 (7:00 pm)

"Margaret Fuller and Transcendentalism"

This program of "Spirit Journeys... Exploring the Mystic Traditions of the World's Religions" considers Margaret Fuller as a leading Transcendentalist with her colleagues Emerson, Thoreau, and A. Bronson Alcott in New England.

Theologian and educator Michael Barnett explains how Fuller's spiritual growth led her to become the first woman social and literary critic and foreign correspondent for Horace Greeley's New York Tribune from 1844 to 1850. Her work for women's rights, social justice, and democracy is still relevant for us today. Transcendentalism is believed to have ended with Fuller's untimely drowning in a shipwreck off Fire Island, New York.

Generations of Indian Valley
259 N. Second Street
Souderton, PA 18964

dhaskins@generationsofiv.org

215-723-5841

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Margaret Fuller: No Intellect Comparable (Cambridge, MA)

Margaret Fuller: No Intellect Comparable
Thursday, March 4, 2:00 PM
Edison & Newman Room, Houghton Library, Harvard
Cambridge, MA

"I now know all the people worth knowing in America," Margaret Fuller once said, "and I find no intellect comparable to my own."

Join us for a new talk by Rob Velella, guest curator of "Margaret Fuller: Woman of the Nineteenth Century", currently on display in the Amy Lowell Room at Houghton Library, for a talk focused on this quote, its context, and its potential veracity. Part of Women's History Month.

For more information, contact Heather Cole

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Margaret Fuller Mystery: The Relationship with Nathaniel Hawthorne (Concord, MA)

March 04, 2010 (5:00 am)

Charles Capper, BU professor and award winning author of Margaret Fuller: An American Romantic Life, will discuss the powerful connection between Fuller and Hawthorne, both in their public and private life.

The talk will be held at the Colonial Inn, Concord, MA, on Thursday the 4th of March with an optional, specialized tour at the Old Manse to commence at 5:00 pm, with a social hour at the Colonial and cash bar to follow. The discussion itself will begin at 7:00 pm and last about an hour.

For reservations (space is limited!) please contact the Old Manse: 269 Monument Street, Concord, MA, 978-369-3909 or email oldmanse@ttor.org.

Also, find the Old Manse on Facebook and Twitter or www.oldmanse.org

The Old Manse will need to know how many people are in your party and if you plan on taking the tour. If not, a coupon will be presented to attendees to take the tour on another date.

The Colonial Inn is located on Monument Square in Concord. For overnight reservations, please call 800-370-9200 or visit www.concordscolonialinn.com

For more information, see press release here.

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Sunday Service: Margaret Fuller Shapes the Consciousness of America through the New York Tribune (Pennsylvania)

March 07, 2010 (10:15 am)

"Margaret Fuller Shapes the Consciousness of America through the New York Tribune"

This Sunday Service celebrates the achievements of Margaret Fuller as the first woman social and literary critic and foreign correspondent for Horace Greeley's New York Tribune.

BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
2040 Street Road, Box 188, Warrington, PA 18976
215-343-0406

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"Standing Before Us" Worship Service (Billerica, MA)

March 07, 2010 (11:00 am)

Worship service in celebration of Women's History Month.

First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church
7 Concord Road, Billerica, MA 01821

Rev. Dr. Dorothy Emerson will speak about four Massachusetts women who were early advocates for women's equality: Universalists Judith Sargent Murray and Mary Livermore and Unitarians Margaret Fuller and Lucy Stone. The impact these women had on our lives is immeasurable. Yet they remain for the most part forgotten. Why is that? What can we do to recognize their work and continue their legacy?

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Men, Women and Margaret Fuller, Worship Service (New Mexico)

March 07, 2010 (11:00 am)

Rancho de Taos Presbyterian Church
Rancho de Taos, NM

Sunday service, no cost, led by Rev. Anne Odin Heller

11am to 12 noon, coffee hour following

Contact Chuck Fawns for more information, 575.758.1887 or email: kyspirit@newmex.com

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Margaret Fuller: No Intellect Comparable (Cambridge, MA)

March 08, 2010 (1:30 pm)

Margaret Fuller: No Intellect Comparable

Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 56 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

"I now know all the people worth knowing in America," Margaret Fuller once said, "and I find no intellect comparable to my own."

Join us for a new talk by Rob Velella, guest curator of "Margaret Fuller: Woman of the Nineteenth Century", currently on display in the Amy Lowell Room at Houghton Library, for a talk focused on this quote, its context, and its potential veracity. Part of Women's History Month.

$2 admission

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International Women's Day Celebration (Cambridge, MA)

March 08, 2010 (5:30 pm)

Cambridge City Hall Annex
344 Broadway, 2nd Fl. community room, Cambridge, MA 02139

In honor of the 200th birthday of feminist and international activist, Margaret Fuller, the Cambridge Women’s Heritage Project will host a panel of Cambridge women to discuss their local and international work through various organizations.

Joan von Mehren, the author of Minerva and the Muse: A Life of Margaret Fuller, will lead the panel in her discussion of Margaret Fuller’s years in Italy and activism during the Italian Revolution.

Bishnu Pariyar, founder and director of the human rights organization, Empower Dalit Women of Nepal (EDWON), will follow with a discussion of EDWON’s educational and micro-finance programs to socially and economically empower “untouchable” women. Patricia Montes, executive director of Centro Presente, will round out the panel by speaking about that organization’s role in supporting self- determination and self-sufficiency of the Latin American immigrant community in Massachusetts.

The Cambridge Women’s Heritage Project (CWHP) is dedicated to developing programs to recognize past and present contributions of Cambridge women from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. The CWHP’s web site, www.cambridgema.gov/cwhp, was designed to honor Cambridge women and women’s organizations and to assist women’s history researchers.

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Standing Before Us, Worship Service (Hudson, MA)

March 14, 2010 (10:30 am)

Worship service in celebration of Women's History Month.

Rev. Dr. Dorothy Emerson will speak about four Massachusetts women who were early advocates for women's equality: Universalists Judith Sargent Murray and Mary Livermore and Unitarians Margaret Fuller and Lucy Stone. The impact these women had on our lives is immeasurable. Yet they remain for the most part forgotten. Why is that? What can we do to recognize their work and continue their legacy?

Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson
80 Main Street, Hudson MA 01749

Rev. Stephen Shick, 978-562-9180 or stephen.m.shick@ucmh.org

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Margaret Fuller and Transcendentalism (Pennsylvania)

March 19, 2010 (7:00 pm)

Generations of Indian Valley presents, Spirit Journeys...Exploring the Mystic Traditions of the World's Religions.

"Margaret Fuller and Transcendentalism" by Michael Barnett

"Humanity can be divided into three classes - men, women, and Margaret Fuller." Edgar Allan Poe

259 N. Second St, Souderton, PA 18964

Registration: $10

Margaret Fuller (1810-1850) was considered the most brilliant woman of her time. Only Poe matched her as an outstanding literary critic in 1840s America. She was a leading Transcendentalist with her colleagues Emerson, Thoreau, and A. Bronson Alcott. She became the first woman social and literary critic and foreign correspondent for Horace Greeley's New York Tribune from 1844 until her untimely death in 1850. Transcendentalism is said to have ended with her drowning in a shipwreck off Fire Island, New York.

Through her insightful and provocative reporting, Margaret exposed the horrible conditions in New York hospitals and prisons, vehemently opposed the extension of slavery into the territories of the United States, and revealed the poverty and classism created by the Industrial Revolution. Her work for women's rights, social justice, and equality is still relevant for us today.

Michael Barnett works as a theologian, educator, and writer. He earned his Master of Divinity Magna Cum Laude at Moravian Theological Seminary and his Master of Education at Gwynedd?Mercy College. For eight years Michael has spoken and taught on the Transcendentalists in Unitarian Universalist and liberal churches in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and New Mexico. This talk on Margaret Fuller grew from his History Seminar paper at GMC, which he presented during the SEPCHE (Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education) conference at Immaculata University in 2007.

Michael's sermon, "Welcome Home, Phoenix," was published in the July/August 2004 issue of The Universalist Herald. Michael has taught religious studies at GMC and teaches poetry writing, journaling, and writings of the...

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UU Women as Agents of Change! (Illinois)

March 20, 2010 (9:00 am)

The UU Women's Connection and CMwD Women & Religion Committee are proud to present a women’s leadership event called “UU Women as Agents of Change.” This special day will take place at:

Third Unitarian of Chicago
301 N. Mayfield
Chicago, Illinois

March 20, 2010, 9 AM to 4:30 PM.

Celebrate Margaret Fuller's 200th Birthday Anniversary by nominating your congregation's own female agent of change. All honorees are invited to attend free of charge. All other interested women may register to attend for a modest $15. More at www.uuwr.org/change

This day will feature lunch, celebration, recognition, and Margaret Fuller Conversation salons. There will also be entertainment provided by, MOMSthatROCK! (http://www.momsthatrock.com/) featuring Anna Fermin, Chicago singer and songwriter. A registration form is available online. All honorees and their stories will be included in an Agents of Change booklet to be distributed at our event. Don’t miss this great opportunity to acknowledge outstanding women’s leadership within your congregation.

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Meet Margaret Fuller in West Roxbury on the Spring Equinox (West Roxbury, MA)

March 20, 2010 (1:00 pm)

Character reenactor Jessa Piaia will present a dramatic portrayal of Margaret Fuller (1810-1850) in “Meet Margaret Fuller in West Roxbury on the Spring Equinox” at the West Roxbury Public Library located at 1961 Centre Street, West Roxbury, Mass., on Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 1:00 pm.

The day’s program is set on March 20, 1845, when Miss Fuller is back in town from Manhattan. She reminisces about her growing up days in Cambridgeport and Boston; her literary achievements, and adventures with the Transcendentalist group including Brook Farm residents; as well as her present employment as first female literary critic for the New York Daily Tribune.

A recognized leader of local Conversations, Margaret will engage the audience with characteristic verve and candor, relating episodes about her circle of friends, philosophy, and travel pursuits. Cosponsored by the West Roxbury Historical Society, the portrayal runs approximately 30 minutes in length, with an informal Q&A to follow.

Piaia uses drama to reveal the accomplishments, struggles, and contributions of women to American history. Clad in period attire, she is acclaimed for “recreating history in the fullest sense,” and for using “solid research and compelling writing” in her artistry. She performs at educational institutions, museums, libraries, social and cultural organizations throughout New England. An eleven-site Massachusetts tour of Susan B. Anthony in Spring 1994 was supported by a grant from the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities; and a mini-grant was awarded in Fall 1997 for the program, “From Suffragist to Citizen: A Conversation with Susan B. Anthony and Eleanor Roosevelt” for three sites across the state, with Piaia (as Anthony) and Elena Dodd (as Roosevelt).

Ms. Piaia studied performance at London’s Oval House Theatre, and graduated from the University of Massachusetts in Boston. She works at Harvard University. Research for this program was conducted through conversations and at local archives. The program was presented at...

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West Roxbury Historical Society Celebrates Margaret Fuller and Brook Farm (West Roxbury, MA)

March 20, 2010 (1:00 pm)

As part of the statewide celebration of the Bicentennial of Margaret Fuller’s birth in 1810, the West Roxbury Historical Society will host character reenactor Jessa Piaia in a dramatic portrayal, “Meet Margaret Fuller on the Spring Equinox,” at the West Roxbury branch library on Centre St.

Margaret Fuller was a member of the Trancendentalist group and a frequent visitor to Brook Farm in West Roxbury. Jessa Piaia who studied performance at London’s Oval House uses drama to reveal the accomplishments, struggles and contributions of women to American history. Clad in period attire, she is acclaimed for ‘recreating history in the fullest sense,’ and for using ‘solid research and compelling writing’ in her artistry. The meeting will feature a display of artifacts and memorabilia of Brook Farm. All are welcome.

For more information: Alice Hennessey W 617-635-3395 H 617-323-1258

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Call Her Marquesa - Margaret Fuller in Italy (Florida)

March 21, 2010 (10:30 am)

Sunday service honoring Margaret Fuller's transformation from a New England bluestocking in to a passionately ripe revolutionary.

The service will highlight her influences from Italian unifiers like Mazzini and Garibaldi as well as her birth and then marriage to the Marquis Giovanni Ossoli.

Operatic music from his period in Italy and dramatized appearance by the historical figures will be features.

One of a series of programs: 2010 The Margaret Fuller Bicentennial.

A Year-Long Salute to Feisty, Mold-Breaking, Noisy, Convention-Flaunting, Apron-Stashing Unitarian Universalist Women

1st Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palm Beaches
635 Prosperity Farms Road
North Palm Beach Florida 33408

(561) 627 6105

Paul Coleman, Pastoral Associate

(561) 635 9246

samovar.paul@gmail.com/

www.uunpb.org/

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Happy Birthday, Margaret Fuller!: Transcendentalist, Social Justice Activist, and Revolutionary (Pennsylvania)

March 21, 2010 (2:00 pm)

As part of the 2010 "learn something new about something old," library lecture series, Michael Barnett will speak on Fuller's work for women's rights, social justice, and democracy.

Indian Valley Public Library
100 E. Church Avenue, Telford, PA 18969
215-723-9109

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"A More Interior Revolution": Elizabeth Peabody, Margaret Fuller, and the Women of the American Renaissance, Exhibit at Mass. Historical Society (Boston, MA)

March 22-June 30, 2010

"'A More Interior Revolution': Elizabeth Peabody, Margaret Fuller, and the Women of the American Renaissance" Exhibit at the Massachusetts Historical Society
1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Mass.

On Monday, 22 March, to commemorate the bicentennial of Margaret Fuller's birth, the MHS will open a new exhibition titled "A More Interior Revolution": Elizabeth Peabody, Margaret Fuller, and the Women of the American Renaissance. Guest curator Megan Marshall, author of the acclaimed biography The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism, has selected letters and journals written by Fuller and Peabody, together with writings and works of art created by other women who participated in the literary renaissance in New England between 1830 and Fuller's death in 1850. The exhibition draws upon the collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society and the Concord Free Public Library.

The MHS will host a special Fellows-and-Members-only opening reception on 20 March as well as two public gallery talks in conjunction with the exhibition. "The Lost Letters of Margaret Fuller" by Stephen T. Riley Librarian Peter Drummey will be held on Saturday, 27 March, at 11 AM and 1 PM as part of the MHS Annual Open House. On Friday, 23 April, at 2 PM, Leslie Perrin Wilson, Curator of the William Munroe Special Collections at the Concord Free Public Library, will give a talk entitled "No Worthless Books": Elizabeth Peabody's Foreign Library and Bookstore, 1840-1852. The MHS also will sponsor a three-day conference, Margaret Fuller and Her Circles, 8-10 April 2010. For information on the conference program, please visit the conference webpage.

"A More Interior Revolution" is free and open to the public from 22 March until 30 June, Monday through Saturday, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

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West Roxbury Historical Society Celebrates Margaret Fuller and Brook Farm (West Roxbury, MA)

March 28, 2010 (2:00 pm)

As part of the statewide celebration of the Bicentennial of Margaret Fuller’s birth in 1810, the West Roxbury Historical Society will host a tour of Brook Farm on Sunday, March 28th at 2:00 PM. Bob Murphy, Pres of the Society will lead the tour of Brook Farm with a visit to the site of the Margaret Fuller cottage. The tour will start at the Print Shop at Brook Farm. All are welcome.

For more information: Alice Hennessey W 617-635-3395 H 617-323-1258

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Spirit in Action: Margaret Fuller’s Legacy for Us

April 16, 2010 (7:45 pm)

Joseph Priestley District Spring Conference
Clarion Hotel Park Ridge
King of Prussia, PA

Margaret Fuller (1810-1850) was a leading Transcendentalist along with Emerson and Thoreau. She was the first woman social and literary critic for Horace Greeley’s New York Tribune and the first woman foreign correspondent. She called upon Americans to question the second-class status of women, African-Americans, and Native Americans and to establish true democracy at home. Her work for women’s rights, social justice, and equality is still relevant for us today. To celebrate Margaret’s Bicentennial, Reverend Dr. Dorothy Emerson and Michael Barnett will share how Margaret’s spiritual life and evolution led her to take effective action for social justice.

Presenters: Rev. Dr. Dorothy Emerson, Billerica and Melrose, MA and Michael Barnett, M. Div., M. Ed., BuxMont UU Fellowship

For information, contact 302-778-4564 or 339-206-0829

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New England Historical Association Meeting (Salem, MA)

April 17, 2010

New England Historical Association Meeting

Salem State College, Salem, MA

Proposed Panel: Margaret Fuller and Her “Friends”: Women in the American Renaissance

Papers:

Laurie Crumpacker, Simmons College

“Teaching about Margaret Fuller and the American Renaissance in a 21st Century Classroom”

Paula Doress-Worters, Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Center

“Mistress of Herself: Speeches & Letters of Ernestine L. Rose, Early Women's Rights Leader”

Rosie Rosenzweig, Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Center

“The Relevance of Lydia Maria Childe to 21st Century Feminism”

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Reading of Ruth Garbus' New One Act Drama, "Margaret Fuller: The Soul's Exuberance" (Kingston, NY)

April 17, 2010 (8:00 pm)

Margaret Fuller: The Soul's Exuberance

Reading of Ruth Garbus' new One Act Drama, followed by discussion of Margaret Fuller

Location: The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Catskills, 320 Sawkill Road, Kingston New York

Contact: Rev. Linda Anderson, 845.708.7944 or revlin23@aol.com

 

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"Why Margaret Fuller Matters" display at Boston Public Library (Boston, MA)

April 21, 2010 (11:00 am)

The Margaret Fuller Bicentennial Committee, Boston Public Library Rare Books Department, Boston Women’s Commission, and the Boston Women’s Heritage Trail invite you to the opening of “Why Margaret Fuller Matters,” a display on Fuller’s life, work, and legacy, with relevant objects from the library’s collection. The display will be on view until May 31, 2010.

Margaret Fuller (1810-50) was a groundbreaking educator, critic, author, journalist, and champion of women’s rights. Her “Conversations” for women, which took place in Boston, helped to galvanize social reformers. Her legacy to future generations is the subject of ongoing inquiry for scholars and the general public alike.

Join us for a gallery talk on Wed. April 21, 2010, 11:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. with Bicentennial Committee members and Susan Glover, Keeper of Special Collections for the Boston Public Library. Koussevitzsky Room (adjacent to the Rare Books Lobby), Boston Public Library, Copley Square, Boston. The gallery talk and display are free and open to the public

Learn more: www.margaretfuller.org

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"Why Margaret Fuller Matters" gallery talk (Boston, MA)

April 21, 2010 (11:00 am)

The Margaret Fuller Bicentennial Committee, Boston Public Library Rare Books Department, Boston Women’s Commission, and the Boston Women’s Heritage Trail invite you to the opening of “Why Margaret Fuller Matters,” a display on Fuller’s life, work, and legacy, with relevant objects from the library’s collection.

Margaret Fuller (1810-50) was a groundbreaking educator, critic, author, journalist, and champion of women’s rights. Her “Conversations” for women, which took place in Boston, helped to galvanize social reformers. Her legacy to future generations is the subject of ongoing inquiry for scholars and the general public alike.

Join us for a gallery talk with Bicentennial Committee members and Susan Glover, Keeper of Special Collections for the Boston Public Library. The display will be on view through May 31, 2010.

Koussevitzsky Room (adjacent to the Rare Books Lobby)

Boston Public Library, Copley Square, Boston, MA

Free and open to the public

Learn more: www.margaretfuller.org

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Margaret Fuller Shapes the Consciousness of America Through the New York Tribune

April 23, 2010 (8:00 pm)

A talk by theologian and educator Michael Barnett for the local Anthroposophical Society of Rudolph Steiner, which focuses on Margaret's connections with Goethe, who was influential for Steiner.

Rose Hall
Camphill Kimberton Hills
1601 Pughtown Road
Kimberton, PA 19442

Sherry Wildfeuer, 610-935-0302

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Walking Tour: "Margaret Fuller's Footsteps in Boston" (Boston, MA)

May 01, 2010 (10:00 am)

Margaret Fuller's Footsteps in Boston

A walking tour of sites where Fuller lived, worked, and visited led by Mary Howland Smoyer and Bonnie Hurd Smith.

Meet at the Boston Common Marker (at Park Street Station), Boston, MA

Price: $10, paid the day of the tour

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In Body and Spirit: The Evolution of Margaret Fuller's Life and Work (California)

May 02, 2010 (10:30 am)

“In Body and Spirit: the evolution of Margaret Fuller’s life and work”

Margaret Fuller (1810-1850) was a leading Transcendentalist along with Emerson and Thoreau. She wrote the groundbreaking book Woman in the 19th Century and was the first woman social and literary critic and foreign correspondent for Horace Greeley’s New York Tribune. She called upon Americans to question the second-class status of women, African and Native Americans and to establish true democracy at home.

This service focuses on her spiritual development, how she found the strength within herself to break free from the restrictions of her time and create an amazing body of work that still has relevance for us today.

Monte Vista Unitarian Universalist Congregation
9185 Monte Vista Avenue
Montclair, CA

909-626-0520

http://www.montevistauu.org

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Venez M'aider M'aider M'aider! -- the Rescue of Margaret Fuller (E. Syracuse, NY)

May 06, 2010 (7:00 pm)

Ellen Fuller continues the family tradition of honoring Margaret Fuller carried forward by Margaret's nephew, Edward Channing, PhD, and continued by his daughters, Alice and Elizabeth Channing. Elizabeth's children, Ellen Fuller Forbes and Willard Perrin Fuller, Jr., continued their mother's assistance to Margaret Fuller scholars and authors, supplying access to images and papers.

Ellen Fuller Forbes represented the family along with her nieces, Ellen and Margery, and daughter, Liz, and grand-niece, Alicia Rouault, when Margaret Fuller was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1995 at Seneca Falls, New York.

Ellen R. Fuller, a granddaughter of Elizabeth Channing Fuller and niece of Ellen Fuller Forbes, lives in Syracuse, New York. She honors her late Uncle Bill and her Aunt Ellen through her participation in the Margaret Fuller Bicentennial.

Venez M'aider M'aider M'aider! -- the Rescue of Margaret Fuller
May 6, 2010 at 7:00 PM at a meeting of Central New York Mensa in East Syracuse, New York.

Open to Mensa Members. Members wishing to attend may contact Loc Sec Paul M Baxter via the Mensa website.

A transcript of the talk and results of the group's effort to solve the mystery of the wreck of the Elizabeth and the disappearance of Giovanni and Margaret d'Ossoli, using models and profiling, will be made available to interested others by Ms. Fuller, who plans to donate a copy to the Concord Free Library.

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A Medley for Margaret Fuller (New York City)

May 06, 2010 (7:30 pm)

"A Medley For Margaret Fuller," a staged presentation with eight actors reading from the writings of Margaret Fuller, adapted and directed by the prize-winning author/actor Laurie James, featuring American Book Award winning poet, Daniela Gioseffi.

At The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Ave., New York, NY. FREE

Co-Sponsored by the Margaret Fuller Bicentennial Committee, UUWA and UU Women & Religion- Metro District and Anne Humpherys, The Center for the Study of Women and Society; Prof. Marc Dolan, American Studies; Prof. Stephen Kruger, English Department; Aoibbeann Sweeney, The Center for Humanities.

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MIT Women's League, Annual Appreciation Luncheon (Cambridge, MA)

May 07, 2010 (All Day)

MIT Women's League, Annual Appreciation Luncheon to honor volunteers. (By invitation only)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Mass.

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Men, Women and Margaret Fuller (New York City)

May 11, 2010 (6:30 pm)

"Men, Women, and Margaret Fuller," a dramatic presentation of Margaret Fuller's life and achievements with slides of the circle of friends known as the Transcendentalists.

May 11, 2010 at 6:30 P.M. at 20 W. 44th St., New York, NY. FREE

Introductions by Madeline Hansen, women's history lecturer, and Karin Taylor, Director, Center for Independent Publishing, Co-sponsored by the Margaret Fuller Bicentennial Committee, UUWA and UU Women & Religion- Metro District and CIP, an educational program of the General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen.

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Margaret Fuller Shapes the Consciousness of America Through the New York Tribune (New York City)

May 12, 2010 (10:00 am)

What: Theologian and educator Michael Barnett speaks to the people of Manhattan about Margaret's reporting for the New York Tribune at the Horace Greeley statue in City Hall Park for her Bicentennial celebration.

Where: The location is at the Horace Greeley statue in City Hall Park, Manhattan, looking out to Newspaper Row, where the NY Tribune building was located.

Horace Greeley Statue (looking toward Newspaper Row)
City Hall Park Manhattan
Broadway-Park Row
Chambers Street
New York, New York 10007

When: Wednesday, May 12, 2010, 10 am to 3 pm

Contact: Michael Barnett
mbarnett@tradenet.net
215-256-8481

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Conversation Series: "Why Margaret Fuller Matters" at MF Neighborhood House (Cambridge, MA)

May 15, 2010 (2:00 pm)

"Why Margaret Fuller Matters" Conversation at Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House, Cambridge, MA

The first in a series of Margaret Fuller-style Conversations will take place at the Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House on Saturday, May 15, at 2:00 PM. A discussion about Margaret Fuller's legacy and her relevance to women today will be led by Dr. Laurie Crumpacker of Simmons College.

This event is part of our Conversations Series, modeled after the "Conversations" that Margaret Fuller offered for women (and later men) in Boston in the late 1830s and early 1840s. Each focuses on a different aspect of Fuller’s thinking and takes place in a venue connected with her.

Ample time for conversation will follow the presentations. The goal of the series is to engage people in thinking about how the issues that concerned this trailblazing woman relate to our lives today. The traveling display, “Why Margaret Fuller Matters,” will be available for viewing at each Conversation.

This program is supported in part by grants from Mass Humanities and the Fund for Unitarian Universalism.

Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House
71 Cherry Street
Cambridge, MA 02139

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Conversation Series: "Margaret Fuller in Groton: Shaping a Life, Framing a Mind" (Groton, MA)

May 16, 2010 (2:00 pm)

Conversation Series

First Parish Church, Unitarian Universalist
1 Powder House Road, Groton, MA 01450-0457

978-448-6307

First Parish Church of Groton and the Margaret Fuller Bicentennial Committee join in presenting: “Margaret Fuller in Groton: Shaping a Life, Framing a Mind,” a panel discussion about this remarkable educator, critic, author, journalist and women’s rights advocate. This event is part of the Bicentennial’s Conversations Series, modeled after the "Conversations" that Margaret Fuller offered for women (and later men) in Boston in the late 1830’s and early 1840’s. Each Conversation focuses on a different aspect of Fuller’s thinking, and takes place in a venue connected with her. Fuller was linked to Groton, Massachusetts twice - first when she attended Miss Susan Prescott’s Young Ladies’ Seminary in 1824, and later when her family returned to Groton in 1833 making their home on Farmer’s Row.

The series seeks to encourage people to consider how the issues that concerned this trailblazing woman relate to our lives today. Distinguished panelists include Dr. Marcia Synnott, Professor of History, University of South Carolina; the Rev. Dr. Dorothy Emerson, co-chair, Margaret Fuller Bicentennial Committee; and Dr. Fritz Fleischmann, Professor of English, Babson College. The traveling display, “Why Margaret Fuller Matters,” will be available for viewing, and there will be ample time for conversation following the presentations.

This panel discussion is supported in part by grants from Mass Humanities and the Fund for Unitarian Universalism. The program takes place at First Parish Church, 1 Powderhouse Road, Groton, MA at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 16, 2010. It is free and open to the public. Donations gratefully accepted. Refreshments will be served.

For more information about Margaret Fuller's Bicentennial, please visit www.margaretfuller.org.

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Meet Margaret Fuller: Educator, Writer, Transcendentalist, & Feminist (Belmont, MA)

May 19, 2010 (1:00 pm)

Meet Margaret Fuller: Educator, Writer, Transcendentalist, & Feminist

PRINTABLE VERSION (PDF)

1638

Paternal ancestor, Thomas Fuller, arrives in Cambridge from England; maternal ancestors, the Cranes, arrive at about the same time in Dorchester, later, Canton.

1810

May 23: Sarah Margaret Fuller is born at 71 Cherry Street in Cambridgeport, Mass., to Margarett Crane and Timothy Fuller, Jr., an attorney; the family attends First Parish Church.

1813

• Sister, Julia Adelaide, is born and dies.
• Timothy Fuller is elected to the Massachusetts Senate.

1814

• With the death of her younger sister, Margaret is an only child and the focus of her father’s attention as her educator; he begins a rigorous course of study for his daughter (at age 4) as if she were a boy preparing to enter Harvard College.
• The Fullers transfer their church membership to the recently formed Cambridgeport Parish Church.

1815

Brother, Eugene, is born.

1817

• Brother, William Henry, is born.
• Timothy Fuller is elected to the U. S. Congress.

1818

• Timothy Fuller begins to serve his term in Washington, D. C.

1819

Attends Cambridge Port Private Grammar School (“The Port School”), a school designed to prepare boys for Harvard that also allowed girls; Margaret is known as “the smart one”; in her father’s absence, they exchange voluminous letters.

1820

• Sister, Ellen Kilshaw, is born.
• At age 10, has command of standard classics in translation; begins to read French.

1821

• Attends Dr. Park’s Boston Lyceum for Young Ladies at 5 Mount Vernon Street.
• Moves in with aunt and uncle (Martha and Simeon Whittier) at 3 Central Court, Boston; Fuller family has moved to Washington, D. C., to be near Timothy but they return to Cambridgeport toward the end of the year.
• Attends First Church in Boston, Unitarian.

1824

• Attends Miss Susan Prescott’s Young Ladies’ Seminary in Groton, Mass., an elite but more traditional school that reflected Margaret’s parents’ concerns for her “marriageability.”
• Brother, Richard, is born.
• Eventually returns to The Port School to study Greek and Latin (at age 14).

1825

• Living in Cambridge during a time of high intellectual and literary activity; Harvard undergoes a major expansion under President John Kirkland, attracting new professors and scholars.
• Stops attending The Port School and creates a “self-designed, self-taught curriculum” with her father’s input.
• Studies informally with Lydia Maria Francis (later, Child).
• Becomes intimate friends with James Freeman Clarke, Frederic Henry Hedge, Rev. William Ellery Channing (for whom she is a reader and translator).

1826

• Brother, James Lloyd, is born.
• Timothy Fuller completes his term as Speaker of the House and returns to Cambridgeport where he continues to practice law; Fuller family moves from Cambridgeport to Dana Hill, near Harvard.
• Eliza Farrar (wife of Harvard professor John Farrar) works to “improve” Margaret socially and introduces her to Fanny Kemble and Harriet Martineau.
• Responsible for educating her younger brothers.

1828

• Meets Elizabeth Peabody.
• Brother, Edward, is born and dies.

1831

At age 21, has a conversion experience that clarifies the meaning of her religion to her and propels her toward a more serious life as an intellectual “with a mission.”

1832

• Fuller family moves to the Abraham Fuller House (Margaret’s uncle) on “Tory Row” in Cambridge (Brattle Street).
• Begins her study of German.
• James Freeman Clarke encourages her to become a writer, noting the success of new women authors Lydia Maria Child and Catherine Sedgwick.

1833

• Timothy Fuller moves his family to Farmers’ Row, Groton, Mass., to take up a rural retirement; Margaret is isolated from her Cambridge circle and homesick, but she visits Cambridge and Boston at least twice a year.
• Continues her program of self-study and considers her years in Groton her “graduate school.”
• Tutors siblings almost full time, which she finds “a serious and fatiguing charge.”

1834

At her father’s request, writes a critique of an article on slavery in ancient Rome by her friend George Bancroft; it is published in the Boston Daily Advertiser.

1835

• James Freeman Clarke starts the Western Messenger and asks Margaret to contribute; she sends literary and dramatic criticism, and also translates a drama by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German poet, novelist, playwright, and natural philosopher, who was considered to be a leading thinker by the American Transcendentalists.
• Travels with the Farrars to New York.
• Publishes stories in the New England Galaxy.
• Timothy Fuller dies suddenly of cholera; the family struggles financially; Margaret, age 25, is now the de facto head of the family; the illness of family members prevents her from traveling to Europe, which she had counted on to launch a literary career.

1836

• Ralph Waldo Emerson invites Margaret to his home in Concord, Mass.; she is accepted into the Transcendentalist circle.
• Meets Bronson Alcott.
• Moves to 1 Avon Place, Boston, in October, with her uncle Henry Fuller; takes rooms next door to begin a series of language classes for young women.
• Replaces Elizabeth Peabody as a teacher in Bronson Alcott’s innovative Temple School in Boston.

1837

• Leaves the failing Temple School to accept a well-paid teaching position at Hiram Fuller’s Greene Street School in Providence, RI (they are not related); she is an excellent teacher; among the numerous subjects she teaches is a historical exploration of female culture; she uses her earnings to send her three brothers through Harvard.
• Hears Emerson deliver his address, “The American Scholar,” at Harvard in which he calls for a “revolution in American intellectual culture”— away from following fashion and institutional loyalty and toward self-reliance and faith in one’s true calling.
• Visits the Emersons in Concord and attends a meeting of the Transcendental Club—the first time women are allowed as members in a “major male intellectual society.”
• In Providence, joins Coliseum Club, a group of prominent male and female intellectuals.
• Harriet Martineau publishes Society in America; Margaret sends her a critical letter that weakens the friendship.

1838

• In Providence, teaches German literature classes for women and men.
• Publishes more literary criticism in the Western Messenger.
• Uses the Coliseum Club to present her ideas on religion and social progress as a speaker, not just as a writer.
• Health declines; she leaves Greene Street School.

1839

• Finishes the biography of Goethe she had begun years earlier; Conversations with Goethe in the Last Years of His Life is published in Boston by Hilliard Gray and Company as part of her friend George Ripley’s Specimens of Foreign Standard Literature series.
• Moves her family from Groton to 81 Morton Street in Jamaica Plain, near Boston.
• In Elizabeth Peabody’s book store at 13 West Street, Boston, begins to hold “Conversations” for women intellectuals and activists including Lidian Emerson, Sarah Bradford Ripley, Lydia Maria Child, Eliza Farrar, Elizabeth, Mary, and Sophia Peabody; they are considered a major contribution to the development of organized American feminism; the Conversations also “launched her career as a Transcendentalist leader.”
• In response to public criticism and misrepresentation, Transcendentalists start their own publication, the literary and theological magazine, the Dial; Margaret is the first editor; contributors include Ralph Waldo Emerson, Bronson Alcott, Henry Hedge, Caroline Sturgis, Ellery Channing, Henry David Thoreau, Theodore Parker, Elizabeth Peabody, George and Sophia Ripley.

1840

• July 1: Inaugural edition of the Dial appears; Margaret Fuller is the “first female editor of a major intellectual journal;” its reception is mixed; comments range from “turgid and affected” to “profound;” Emerson is her most loyal supporter; she visits him twice in Concord, and also visits Newburyport with Caroline Sturgis.
• In Boston, holds her second round of Transcendentalist “Conversations” for women.
• Clashes with followers of William Lloyd Garrison, especially Maria Weston Chapman, over ideology and methods to end slavery (immediate vs. gradual, inclusive of female liberation vs. not).

1841

• Holds classes for women and men on Greek mythology.
• Publishes acclaimed article on Goethe in the Dial.
• Makes the first of several visits to Brook Farm in West Roxbury, the Transcendentalist utopian community founded by George and Sophia Ripley.
• Sister, Ellen, marries Ellery Channing (William Ellery Channing’s nephew).
• Not renewing her lease on Willow Brook, spends the next year and a half living in the homes of relatives or friends, including in Cambridge, Concord, Newburyport, Newport, R.I., and at Brook Farm; spends the winter at Avon Place, Boston, with aunt and uncle.
• Offers private literature classes in Boston.

1842

• The Dial experiences a financial setback; she is not being paid but maintains the workload.
• Suffers recurring ill health during the winter; ill, poor, and overburdened by the Dial, she turns over the editorship to Emerson; he tells her, “you have played martyr a little too long alone: let there be rotation in martyrdom!”
• Still homeless, after leaving Avon Place she stays with relatives or friends in Canton, New Bedford, Providence, R.I., Cambridge, and Concord; visits Brook Farm and journeys to the White Mountains with James Freeman Clarke and his wife, Anna Clarke.
• Much reflection on her status as a single woman surrounded by married friends, on marriage, gender roles, and sex; works on defining her friendship with Emerson.
• Urged to move to Brook Farm, she declines citing numerous reasons why she thinks the experiment will fail (it does).
• Rented a house on Ellery Street in Cambridge with her mother and boarded young “Dialers.”
• Continues language and literature classes and her “Conversations”; her notoriety as a public figure is growing.

1843

• “Conversations” increasingly involve political subjects as more activist women join to discuss gender roles, suffrage, women’s rights, and abolition.
• Under Emerson’s editorship, the Dial publishes her landmark essay "The Great Lawsuit: Man vs. Men and Woman vs. Women" (the precursor to Woman in the Nineteenth Century); among her many points: the egalitarian ideals of the American Revolution do not apply to women, African Americans, and Native Americans; Abolitionists are the first to treat women as equals within a political movement; throws out “separate spheres” ideology; human freedom is a right.
• Horace Greeley publishes an extract from "The Great Lawsuit" in the New-York Tribune.
• Travels with Sarah and James Freeman Clarke, and their mother, Rebecca, to Illinois and Wisconsin to experience the American wilderness and witness the consequences of Native American displacement; she is transported by the natural beauty of the West, but profoundly troubled by the “plight of the Indian”—the promise of America vs. the reality of America; spends time getting to know Native Americans.
• That winter, holds language and literature classes in Cambridge.
• Investigates mesmerism at the Clarkes’ home.
• Granted access to Harvard’s library at Gore Hall to study maps for her forthcoming book, Summer on the Lakes; she is the first woman granted this privilege.

1844

• Holds final “Conversations.”
• Publishes in the Dial and Present.
• June 4: Little, Brown publishes Summer on the Lakes about her journey out West; she “puts the region on the national literary and intellectual map” and attracts a national audience.
• Visits Concord and stays with the Emersons, Hawthornes, and her sister, Ellen.
• Accepts Horace Greeley’s offer to write for the New-York Tribune; travels in New York before settling in the Greeleys’ home at Turtle Bay; becomes a top critic of literature, drama, and social conditions for a salary equal to a man’s.
• Visits Mount Pleasant Female Prison at Sing Sing to meet prisoners, especially prostitutes, and hear their stories.
• Works to expand "The Great Lawsuit" into a book.
• Writes anti-slavery essays at the time of Texas’ possible annexation as a slave state.

1845

• In New York, Greeley and McElrath publish Woman in the Nineteenth Century in which Fuller explores the status of women from every conceivable angle and challenges the current social order; reactions include “bold,” “brave,” “indelicate,” “horrendous”; the book causes a sensation nationally and internationally, and spurs on American women reformers.
• For the Tribune, visits more public institutions in New York to investigate conditions; publishes a survey of American literature; writes sympathetically about the Irish; denounces Texas’ annexation and the perpetuation of slavery.
• Moves to New York City, (Warren Street, then Amity Place).

1846

• Denounces America’s war with Mexico; doubts about America continue to plague her.
• Travels to Europe with Marcus and Rebecca Spring as the Tribune’s foreign correspondent and sends dispatches on poverty and social conditions, art, music, literary figures, social life; travels to England, Scotland, and Paris; meets George Sand, Thomas Carlyle, William Wordsworth, and the Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Mazzini; she is the first female foreign correspondent for a leading American newspaper.

1847

• In Italy, travels with the Springs and then on her own; spends time talking with locals; settles in Rome where she feels a sense of belonging, away from American misogyny and racism.
• In Rome, meets the Marquess Giovanni Angelo Ossoli and they become romantically involved.
• Sends dispatches on art and Italian politics; eventually writes critically about Pope Pius IX; European nations increase hostilities toward various Italian states, including Rome.

1848

• Wealthy uncle, Abraham Fuller, dies leaving Margaret a tiny amount as retribution for defying him long ago; she continues to struggle financially.
• She is pregnant; gives birth to Angelo Eugene Phillip Ossoli, called “Nino,” in Reiti on September 5; he is baptized on November 3.
• At some point before their son’s birth, Margaret and Ossoli marry secretly; the baptismal record, letters, and Margaret’s account of their relationship document their marriage.
• They leave the baby in Reiti and return to Rome where she resumes her writing as an eyewitness to war activities; she is now the first female war correspondent: “politically savvy, culturally alert,” and fully cognizant of her dual existence as an American and adopted European.
• Begins to write a history of the Italian Revolution.
• Calls for an American ambassador to be sent to Rome to support and advise the revolutionaries.

1849

• Continues to call on American individuals and organizations to support the Italian revolutionaries (not the military).
• Returns briefly to Reiti to see her son.
• The French forces enter Rome to restore the Pope; Margaret assumes the directorship of the Fate Bene Fratelli Field Hospital at the request of Princess Cristina Trivulzio Belgioioso; Ossoli is arrested but released.
• For their safety, the Ossolis leave Rome for Reiti to collect their son, and then on to Florence where they live openly as a family for the first time; meets Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
• Continues to work on her history of the Italian Revolution; with money scarce, she needs to have the book published—in America.

1850

• In contemplating where to live in America, Margaret sees herself as a dual citizen of Europe and America; they decide on New York where many Italians have settled.
• The Ossolis board the steamer Elizabeth; they are shipwrecked off Fire Island, New York; the vessel takes twelve hours to sink while onlookers loot cargo but do not assist; some survive, but all three Ossolis perish; Margaret Fuller is 40 years old, Ossoli is 30; the manuscript of the Italian Revolution is lost.
• Emerson sends Thoreau to search the wreckage for their bodies and personal effects; he finds nothing but a button from Ossoli’s coat; Nino’s body is recovered and eventually reinterred in the Fuller family plot at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge.
• The Fuller family erects a cenotaph to Margaret’s memory at Mount Auburn Cemetery; the words inscribed read, “Born a child of New England, By adoption a citizen of Rome, By genius belonging to the World.”

1852

• Horace Greeley reissues Papers on Literature and Art with an introduction by him.
• Emerson, James Freeman Clarke, and Ellery Channing publish Memoirs of Margaret Fuller Ossoli.

1855-1860

Arthur B. Fuller, Margaret’s brother, reissues Woman in the Nineteenth Century with new material; publishes At Home and Abroad, and Life Without and Within.

Notes:

Quotations are from Charles Capper's two volumes, Margaret Fuller, An American Romantic Life

Sources:

Margaret Fuller, An American Romantic Life: The Public Years by Charles Capper (Oxford University Press, 2007)

Margaret Fuller, An American Romantic Life: The Private Years by Charles Capper (Oxford University Press, 1992)

Biographical Sketch of Margaret Fuller by Laurie James

Margaret Fuller by Joan W. Goodwin (Dictionary of Unitarian Universalist Biography)