Martha Schofield diary, 1869-1871
Scope and Contents
90 pages. Martha Schofield moved to South Carolina after the Civil War to run a school for African American children. Her diary describes her daily activities with a focus on her social life. Running themes include Schofield's deeply conflicted feelings over the engagement of her best friend Sarah "Sadie" Brouwer to Thomas Chalkley Bartram; her health problems involving her lungs, which she believed would be fatal; and the founding of what became the Schofield Normal and Industrial School. It also discusses her co-teacher Mary Taylor Stone and attending churches in Aiken.
Entries are far less frequent after the end of 1869. Page numbers jump from 45 to 56. The last several pages contain records of Schofield's weight from 1871-1875 and an account of an examination by a Virginian phrenologist named Dr. Trotter in 1878.
Subjects: Schofield, Martha; Diaries; Reconstruction (United States : 1865-1877); Books and reading; Quaker women; Freedmen--Education; African Americans--Education; Female friendship; Jealousy; Weddings--Planning; Faith; Hancock, Cornelia, 1840-1927
Relevant locations: Aiken (S.C.); Philadelphia (Pa.); Darby (Pa.)
Dates
- Creation: 1869-1871
Limitations on Accessing the Collection
Collection is open for research.
Explore Digitized Content
The bulk of this collection has been digitized and is available in our Digital Library. Explore this collection online.
Find It at the Library
Most of the materials in this catalog are not digitized and can only be accessed in person. Please see our website for more information about visiting or requesting reproductions from Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College Library
