Hannah Adams

Hannah Adams ( born October 2, 1755 in Medfield, Massachusetts, † December 15, 1831 or November 15, 1832 in Brookline, Massachusetts) was an American writer and the first woman in the U.S. who worked professionally as a writer and writing their livelihood earned.

Life

Hannah Adams was an early comprehensive education in literature, but also in Latin and Greek by her father's students. After this became insolvent in 1772, she had to pay for their own livelihood as well as their siblings. During the time of the American Revolution and the War of Independence began in 1775 she earned a living first by the manufacture of lace fabrics before she then worked as a teacher.

In 1784, she made her literary debut with the book View of Religious Opinions, in which she gave a comprehensive overview of various religions of the world. The book was divided into three chapters on an alphabetic overview of the Christian confessions, short representations of paganism, Islam, Judaism, and Deism and an overview of other religions of the world. The work, which was so successful that it was featured in several reprints appeared with the fourth edition under the title Dictionary of Religions.

In the following years she wrote the two books History of New England (1799 ) and Evidences of Christianity (1801 ). The success of these books not only ensure their livelihood, but also allowed her the acquaintance to people such as Abbé Henri Grégoire, which led to an extensive correspondence, which they on the other, in the preparation of her book History of the Jews (1812 ) supported.

Her other books include Controversy with Dr. Morse (1814 ) and Letters on the Gospels (1826 ). Hannah Adams, who was restrained in their behavior and their views, took only short trips like the boat from Boston to Nahant as well as by land from Boston to Chelmsford. Recently she received from some friends and had a pension after her death, the first person who was buried in the Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Shortly after her death Hanah F. Lee published the autobiography of Hannah Adams.