JULIA WARD HOWE
Julia Ward Howe, who is best known for her literary and woman suffrage work, was
born on May 27, 1819 into a prominent New York City family that had a
distinguished lineage on both sides. While she was raised in a conservative,
Christian home, as a young woman she rebelled against her father's strong
Calvinist beliefs. Even though she became a liberal thinker, she always stood
firm in her religious convictions.
Since Julia's mother died when she was only five years old, she was raised by
her father with the help of various family members. Her father saw to it that
she received the best education available. She attended various private girls’
schools and was also tutored at home. She grew into a gracious and intelligent
young woman with a strong literary bent. Due to her remarkable abilities, she
was readily accepted into the society of such notables as Margaret Fuller,
Horace Mann, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
In 1843, Julia married the Boston Reformer, Dr. Samuel G. Howe, nearly 20 years
her senior. While it was a stormy marriage, at best, they had four children.
Julia proved to be a remarkable mother and all of her children went on to become
eminently successful in the fields of science and literature.
Though Dr. Howe did not approve of married women in public life, Julia did,
however, pursue her writing career, even against her husband’s wishes. In 1954,
despite her husband’s disapproval, Julia anonymously published her first volume
of poems, “Passions Flowers”. It was met with success and she continued writing
and publishing volumes of poetry, several plays, and many magazine articles on
various themes. This caused friction between husband and wife as Dr. Howe
emphatically objected to Julia’s speaking in public and pursuing her literary
career.
In the fall of 1861, after the Civil War began, Mrs. Howe accompanied her
husband to Washington, D.C., where he was involved in medical service for the
government. During the visit, Julia became deeply disturbed as she noted the
growing angry mood of the Nation. Daily, Mrs. Howe watched troops marching off
to war singing “John Brown’s Body”, a song about an unconventional man who had
been hanged in his efforts to free the slaves. One day, a friend suggested that
she write some “decent words for that tune”. Julia agreed. That evening, while
in bed, the words came to Julia. She rose in the middle of the night and
scrawled the verses of the poem that was to become famous as “The Battle Hymn of
the Republic”. The poem was published in the Atlantic Monthly and Mrs. Howe
received a mere $5 for this literary work. But soon the song was being sung by
regiments all over the north and it wasn’t long before the entire nation was
united in singing, “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord...”
This became one of our finest national hymns, finding its way into almost every
American hymnal.
By the time she reached her eighties, Julia had become a national figure,
beloved by the American people. In 1908, two years before she died at the age of
ninety-one, Julia Ward Howe was the first woman to be elected to the prestigious
American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Julia Ward Howe, who is best known for her literary and woman suffrage work, was
born on May 27, 1819 into a prominent New York City family that had a
distinguished lineage on both sides. While she was raised in a conservative,
Christian home, as a young woman she rebelled against her father's strong
Calvinist beliefs. Even though she became a liberal thinker, she always stood
firm in her religious convictions.
Since Julia's mother died when she was only five years old, she was raised by
her father with the help of various family members. Her father saw to it that
she received the best education available. She attended various private girls’
schools and was also tutored at home. She grew into a gracious and intelligent
young woman with a strong literary bent. Due to her remarkable abilities, she
was readily accepted into the society of such notables as Margaret Fuller,
Horace Mann, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
In 1843, Julia married the Boston Reformer, Dr. Samuel G. Howe, nearly 20 years
her senior. While it was a stormy marriage, at best, they had four children.
Julia proved to be a remarkable mother and all of her children went on to become
eminently successful in the fields of science and literature.
Though Dr. Howe did not approve of married women in public life, Julia did,
however, pursue her writing career, even against her husband’s wishes. In 1954,
despite her husband’s disapproval, Julia anonymously published her first volume
of poems, “Passions Flowers”. It was met with success and she continued writing
and publishing volumes of poetry, several plays, and many magazine articles on
various themes. This caused friction between husband and wife as Dr. Howe
emphatically objected to Julia’s speaking in public and pursuing her literary
career.
In the fall of 1861, after the Civil War began, Mrs. Howe accompanied her
husband to Washington, D.C., where he was involved in medical service for the
government. During the visit, Julia became deeply disturbed as she noted the
growing angry mood of the Nation. Daily, Mrs. Howe watched troops marching off
to war singing “John Brown’s Body”, a song about an unconventional man who had
been hanged in his efforts to free the slaves. One day, a friend suggested that
she write some “decent words for that tune”. Julia agreed. That evening, while
in bed, the words came to Julia. She rose in the middle of the night and
scrawled the verses of the poem that was to become famous as “The Battle Hymn of
the Republic”. The poem was published in the Atlantic Monthly and Mrs. Howe
received a mere $5 for this literary work. But soon the song was being sung by
regiments all over the north and it wasn’t long before the entire nation was
united in singing, “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord...”
This became one of our finest national hymns, finding its way into almost every
American hymnal.
By the time she reached her eighties, Julia had become a national figure,
beloved by the American people. In 1908, two years before she died at the age of
ninety-one, Julia Ward Howe was the first woman to be elected to the prestigious
American Academy of Arts and Letters.