Bluestockings Society, a Mid-1700s Feminist Group

By Susan F. Craft
Author of the Xanthakos Family Trilogy -
The Chamomile, Laurel, and Cassia

        The Bluestockings Society, also known as the Bluestockings Circle, an early example of feminism, was a women’s social and educational movement founded in England in 1750. The founders wanted to provide an informal setting where women could expand their knowledge by conversing freely with other women and men of learning.
        The society’s discussions about education, literature, and art constituted a revolutionary change from traditional, non-intellectual pursuits for women who were expected to master “more feminine” skills of needlework, knitting, and music, while only men attended universities. 

Elizabeth Montagu

        It was considered “unbecoming” for a woman to know Greek or Latin and almost immodest for women to be authors, which explains why female authors of that time wrote under pseudonyms.


        Led by Elizabeth Montagu and Elizabeth Vesey, the society included prominent women of English society, though some males were invited to join the group.

        There are disputes about the society’s origins and name. Some say the name came about from Benjamin Stillingfleet, a popular guest who had given up society and didn’t have clothes suitable for an evening party, which included black stockings, and so he wore more informal daytime wear of blue worsted stockings to the meetings.


Benjamin Stillingfleet

         Many of the Bluestocking women supported each other in intellectual endeavors such as reading, artwork, and writing. Many also published literature. Author Elizabeth Carter (1717–1806) was a Bluestocking Society advocate and member who published essays and poetry and translated works of Greek philosophers.
        Contemporary author Anna Miegon wrote about bluestockings in her Biographical Sketches of Principal Bluestocking Women.
        Much of society scorned and ridiculed the “unfeminine” pursuits. Thomas Rawlandson published this satirical drawing of the group in 1815.

        The group had its admirers, though. In 1786, Hannah More published a poem, Le bas bleu, in defense of the bluestockings. The poem praised the bluestocking assemblies and attempted to show that conversation was more desirable than fashionable pursuits. 

Hannah More

        There’s a scene in my recently released 1790s historical fiction, Cassia, where Lilyan Xanthakos explains slavery to her daughter Laurel. Impressed with her mother’s knowledge, Laurel asks her how she came to know so much.
        “I’m glad you think so, my dear.” Lilyan crossed one ankle over the other and knit her fingers together on her lap. “But to answer your question, my father encouraged me to read. And I’ve done so all my life.”
        “You weren’t fearful of being dubbed a bluestocking?”

 

The Xanthakos Family Trilogy

Cherokee Cooking

Susan F. Craft
Author of the Xanthakos Family Trilogy -
The Chamomile, Laurel, and Cassia


three sisters - corn, beans, squash

         Cherokee culture thrived for thousands of years in what is now the southeastern United States. Cherokee is a distinct culture with its own geography, language, social organization, and spiritual beliefs. There are seven Cherokee clans: Bird, Paint, Wild Potato, Wolf, Blue, Deer, and Long Hair. Historically, Cherokee women were the heads of families and households and were economically powerful. The Cherokee language is not only spoken, but also written using 86 letters developed by Sequoyah.
        The Cherokee ate mainly corn and beans and squash, called the three sisters, which they grew in their fields.
        To get the highest yield of beans possible, the vines need tall poles to grow on, which is why they were planted next to the corn. The corn's tall straight stalks were perfect for the climbing vines of the bean plants. In turn, the beans’ roots captured nitrogen from the air and enriched the soil, ideal for the corn which needs nitrogen rich soil to produce a large crop. Squash send out very long, winding vines, have large leaves, and like to stay close to the ground. Planted in between the rows of corn and beans, they acted as an edible ground cover, which not only kept the weeds away, but also provided shade for the corn's shallow roots. They helped keep the ground moist, which helped the beans grow, which helped the corn grow higher, which made for longer bean vines and yields, and so on.
        The three plants play a large part in many Native American myths and legends. The Cherokee believed that, since the plants were special when grown together, they should also be eaten together. They also believed that since they protected each other while growing, they would protect whoever ate them.

wild onions

        The Cherokee also ate deer, birds, squirrels, groundhogs, rabbits, fish, crawdads (crayfish), and turtles. They did not live entirely from farming and got much of their food from gathering foods such as: wild greens, wild onions, polk, mushrooms, ramps, nuts, green cone flower, watercress, huckleberries (blueberries), and blackberries. (Tea made from the huckleberry leaves was used for dysentery.)


Polk, dla-ya-de-i, harvested in May and late April,

required three changes of water when boiling to

reduce the acid. As polk grows older it becomes

poisonous. The berries are said to be poisonous

as well, but Cherokee basket makers used the

berries for a dye.

huckleberries

      

















Watercress with hot bacon grease poured
over  it was served with beans and corn bread.

Before contact with the settlers, Cherokee meals were one-pot stews made over an open fire. After contact, the tribe began to grow fruit like watermelons and peaches and to eat farm animals like chicken, pigs, and cows.
       



        In my Revolutionary War novel, The Chamomile, my heroine travels with a group of Cherokee. One in particular, Golden Fawn, prepares a meal for them. Here’s the excerpt:
        That evening they dined on roasted squirrel and trout along with sweet bread Golden Fawn made from cornmeal mush wrapped in green corn husks and baked next to the glowing coals. Andrew could not seem to get enough of the spongy bread, eating his portion and half of Lilyan’s.


The Xanthakos Family Trilogy spans from 1780-1836 and from the Blue Ridge Mountains, to Charleston, SC, and the NC Outer Banks. (The Chamomile; Laurel; Cassia )



Weathervane - Colonial American Doppler

        Earlier this month, my dear state of South Carolina suffered a terrible weather event that caused torrential, unprecedented rain, flooding, loss of life, and devastation that will take us years to recover from. For days on end, I watched TV weathermen point to maps and describe what the moving arrows and different colors meant. I then watched in horror as that data became rife with meaning in the videos of people climbing out second-story windows of their homes as raging flood waters swept away their vehicles and belongings. Water climbed steadily up and up, finally engulfing their homes. The bravery of trained first responders, as well as ordinary people, played out before us as my husband and I sat in the safety and comfort of our home, unable to help. Fortunately, we live on a hill and suffered no damage. Our only inconvenience was having to boil our water for several weeks. But our hearts were broken upon learning that many people, including dear friends and church members, lost everything and upon seeing the havoc wreaked upon our cities, communities, farms, bridges, dams, and roads.
 

When I began to consider a topic for my Colonial Quills post, I wondered how Colonial Americans forecasted their weather. I came across the fascinating history of weathervanes.

Weathervanes, also called “wind vanes,” are one of the oldest forms of predicting weather. They get their name from the Old English word “fane,” which means flag or banner. They were used as far back as 3,500 years ago in Mesopotamia; by the Chinese in the 2nd century B.C.; by Vikings in the 9th century (bronze depictions of animals and creatures of Norse myth); and by ancient Greeks and Romans on their homes.

Following a papal edict, 9th century Europeans put weathervanes on their church roofs to ward off evil and to proclaim good faith. The edict declared that every church in Christendom must be adorned by a cockerel, a symbol to remind Christians of Peter’s betrayal of Christ: "I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me." (Luke 22:34)

 It follows that the rooster was a popular shape for weathervanes in Colonial America. Colonial craftsmen soon began to branch out with designs that included farm animals such as horses, pigs, cows, sailboats, fish, and whales. Indian figures and eagles were also popular. 

Colonial American farmers and sailors used weathervanes and almanacs to help predict weather. It may sound archaic, and mistakes were made, but weathervanes helped with agricultural production and fishing, and so, were a valued contribution to the success of our country.

To commemorate the Revolutionary War, George Washington commissioned a weathervane of a “Dove of Peace” to put on his home at Mount Vernon. When it arrived in August 1787, Washington was in Philadelphia and was concerned about its installation. He wrote to his secretary/nephew, "Great pains...must be taken to fix the points truly; otherwise they will deceive rather than direct - (if they vary from the North, South, East, and West) - one way of doing this may be by my Compass being placed in a direct North line on the ground at some distance from the House."

Dove of Peace weathervane on the cupola

of Mount Vernon.

Thomas Jefferson designed a weathervane so he could read it from inside his home in Monticello.

At his blacksmith's shop, Paul Revere had a weathervane in the shape of a codfish.

How weathervanes work:

Weathervanes must be attached on the highest point of a structure, away from tall buildings, balanced on their rotating axis. Wind blows against a weathervane spinning it, and the end with the least surface area turns into the wind, indicating the wind’s direction.

Here's a montage of some interesting weathervane designs.

Susan F. Craft is the author of the Xanthakos Family Trilogy - The Chamomile, Laurel, and Cassia - inspirational romantic suspense that spans from 1780-1836 and from the Blue Ridge Mountains, to Charleston, SC, and to the NC Outer Banks.

Colonial Quills 4th Anniversary Party!

 Welcome to Colonial Quills 4th Anniversary Party!

The Colonial Quillers (contributers) would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to our fearless leader, Mistress Carrie, for all she does to encourage us and help promote our work! She is looking particularly lovely today, don't you agree?

(CFP: Someone will please escort Carla to the stocks for making this picture!!! After her lashing I will thank her for her kind comments ;) !!!) 




CFP: Ahem! And we thank Mistress Gade who designed the Colonial Quills website--can I get a hearty huzzah? (And you will note I did NOT put her face in a hole, lol, therefore I shall not be placed in stocks!)  Someone go let Mistress Gade out of the stocks so we can 
PAR-TAY Colonial Style!!!!

We are at Colonial Williamsburg today (virtually, of course!) So take a seat in one of the shield-backed chairs.

Please enjoy some tea and a slice of Martha Washington's famous Great Cake as we share with you about our writing during this year past. And of course some delicious colonial punch!

Several other colonial dessert options to choose from! Help yourself!

Enjoy the party!!

 
What our Contributors have been up to in the past year:

Circle of Spies by Roseanna M. White

Culper Ring Series, Book 3

Drawn into her family's spy ring by secrets in her late husband's family, Marietta must help an undercover Pinkerton agent infiltrate a Confederate secret society...before they can kill the President.

Spiritual Arc - struggling with the guilt of her past, Marietta needs to embrace the gift God has given her and embrace the true meaning of redemption--knowing that it doesn't do away with consequences but does give her freedom of the soul.

Circle of Spies is a finalist in the RT Book Awards, Reviewer's Choice for Best Book of 2014 in the Inspirational Mystery/Suspense category.

A Soft Breath of Wind
by Roseanna M. White

Sequel to A Stray Drop of Blood

An amazing spiritual gift has left Zipporah scarred...but will it be enough to save the church of Rome from an enemy that attacks from within the safety of its walls?

Spiritual Arc - Zipporah can see beyond the veil, into the spiritual world of angels and demons. But what she can't see is her own worth. Her faith in God never wavers, but she needs to learn to trust the rest of His people and learn her place among them.

Roseanna blogs here on the CQ the 4th Wednesday of every month. You can also find her on her website, her blog, her Facebook personal profile, her Facebook author page, her Facebook page dedicated to her design business (she designed the cover of A Soft Breath of Wind), and on Twitter.

Laurel by Susan F. Craft 

Searching for their toddler and her Cherokee aunt kidnapped by slavers, Lilyan and Nicholas trek from their North Carolina vineyard, through the South Carolina backcountry to Charleston, a tinderbox of post-Revolutionary War passions. There Lilyan, a former Patriot spy, faces a grand jury for murdering a British officer during the war. They follow Laurel’s trail by sea and are shipwrecked on an Outer Banks island. Will they be reunited or is Laurel lost to them forever?

Spiritual arc for Laurel: Separated from her husband, Lilyan Xanthakos digs deep inside to re-ignite the courage and faith that helped her survive the Revolutionary War.  Determined to free his wife at any cost, Nicholas finds himself forced back into a life of violence he thought he’d left behind. Will their love for each other and their faith sustain them as they await word of their missing child? 

Laurel is the sequel to The Chamomile, Susan's Revolutionary War romantic suspense that won the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Okra Pick Award.

Susan can be found at the following: on her   Personal website,  on her personal blog, on Facebook, on Pinterest, and on Twitter

THE PROMISE KEEPER 

by Lisa Norato 

A reclusive lighthouse keeper sworn to secrecy….

A sea captain’s daughter in search of answers….

When tragedy brings Keeper Jonathan Mayne out of seclusion to Iris Moon’s doorstep, will he be able to protect her from danger while keeping her father’s secret about the mad Englishman bent on revenge against her family? The Promise Keeper is a seafaring romance of suspense, intrigue and tested faith. For those who enjoyed Prize of My Heart, a new Federal-era novel set in Duxbury, Massachusetts 1825.

Spiritual Arc:  Iris’s and Johnny’s story is one of conquering fear, of trusting God through the storms of life. Fear robs our peace and steals hope, but as Johnny and Iris will learn, God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Like a lighthouse stands tall against the elements to guide ships to safety, Jesus Christ is our light in the darkness, directing our paths.

Lisa Norato can be found here on the Colonial Quills blog on each 5th Wednesday of the year. For more information about Lisa and her books, please visit her personal website or check her out on Goodreads or Facebook. 

Author Rita Gerlach

Rita Gerlach has made an amazing recovery from breast cancer and is back in the writer's seat, praise God! She has a writer's conference event scheduled this summer in Maryland and has also recently completed work on a manuscript with the acclaimed author, Gilbert Morris! What a honor that had to have been!!!

 

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by CACW member Lori Benton

Lori Benton has the distinction of having SWEPT the Christy Awards last year!!! Best book for her debut novel, Burning Sky, best historical, and best overall!!! How thrilling for Lori who worked so very hard for these honors!

Northkill, Book 1 of the Northkill Amish Series

by J. M. Hochstetler and Bob Hostetler

Nominated for 2015 Christian Small Publishers Association Historical Fiction Book of the Year

In 1738 Jakob Hochstetler and his family arrive in America, seeking sanctuary from religious persecution in Europe and the freedom to live and worship according to their Anabaptist beliefs, including the doctrine of nonresistance. They settle in the Northkill Amish Mennonite community on the Pennsylvania frontier along Northkill Creek, for which their community is named. Eighteen years later, early on the morning of September 20, 1757, as the French and Indian War rages, the Hochstetlers’ way of life is brutally shattered when their home is attacked by a party of Delaware and Shawnee warriors. Facing certain death with his wife and children, Jakob makes a wrenching choice that will tear apart his family and change all their lives forever.

Northkill is closely based on an inspiring true story well-known among the Amish and Mennonites. It has been documented in many publications and in contemporary accounts preserved in the Pennsylvania State Archives and in private collections. 

Spiritual Arc: When his home is attacked by Indians, Jakob Hochstetler must make a wrenching decision: Will he take up arms to protect his wife and children—or will he remain true to his nonresistant beliefs and allow all of them to face almost certain death?

An Amish Christmas Quilt includes a
novella by CQ member, Kelly Marie Long

Member Cynthia Howerter has just returned from the Florida Christian Writers' Conference and WON in the Historical/Biblical Category for her as-yet-unpublished colonial Pennsylvania manuscript.

The Marshall's Pursuit by Gina Welborn

Janet Grunst continues as Tidewater Christian Writers - North, co-hostess with Carrie.

She is represented by Linda Glaz (a nominee for Best Agent of 2014 by ACFW) of Hardline Literary Agency in Pittsburgh. Linda is currently shopping one of Janet's colonial era manuscripts with publishers. Janet has another manuscript she will be sending to Linda this spring. 

"Proving Up" by Carla Olson Gade in The Homestead Brides Collection, Nine Pioneering Couples Risk All for Love and Land

A young Swedish widow applies her scientific theories to growing trees on the barren Great Plains intruding on a handsome homesteader’s hard work and experience. (1885)

Spiritual Arc: Nils Svensson learns that his work isn't a solitary effort, but a partnership with the God who enables him to reach his goals. Elsa Lindquist learns to trust God for His provision and care. Each of them also relinquish their fears and grief to a God who provides comfort and hope.

The Homestead Brides Collection is #5 on the ECPA Christian Bestseller List for March, 2015.

Also by Carla, "The Memory Shop" in A Cup of Christmas CheerThe proprietor of a Main Street memorabilia shop finds his own cherished memories rekindled and relationships renewed at Christmastime.

Spiritual Arc: In this short story, the theme is forgiveness and reconciliation between an estranged father and adult son.

Connect with Carla on Facebook, her blog, and newsletter! 

We've been so blessed to have the incomparable MaryLu Tyndall with us on the CQ blog for the last several years! Her pirate blogs are amazing! We're sorry she's leaving us but we wish her the best! MaryLu has several new releases out in the past year plus she re-released one of her colonial novels, which was a nominee for Family Fiction's Book of the Year!  

Author Tammy Kraft

Tamera Lynn Kraft has kept busy this past year with her blogs such as Word Sharpeners, contributing to CQ, researching her upcoming stories, and promoting her current publications.

Elaine Marie Cooper's Young Adult novel, Fields of the Fatherless, won several awards in 2014: Selah Award, Next Generation Indie Book Award and Moonbeam Children's Book Award. This book was also a finalist in the USA Best Book Awards.

Spiritual Arc: Betsy Russell has seemingly lost everything on the first day of the American Revolution, including her ability to forgive her enemy. But an unexpected journey of compassion reveals that God's ways are not our ways. This novel is based on a true story.

Elaine also released her first nonfiction book, Bethany's Calendar, a memoir of her daughter's battle with brain cancer. It is a story of fear and faith, commitment and compassion, told with gut wrenching honesty.

You can connect with Elaine on Facebook or Her Website/ Blog

Vicki McCollum

Vicki McCollum continues as a freelance editor for Barbour Books and others. She has multiple manuscripts set in colonial to late 19th century settings and is represented by Jim Hart, of Hartline Literary Agency in Pittsburgh. Vicki won a contest in the past year, too!

Carrie Fancett Pagels' Christmas novella release as part of the Christmas Traditions Series. The Fruitcake Challenge was a long list nominee for FamilyFiction.com's Book of the Year for 2014!

Can a cocky lumberjack win the heart of a spunky camp cook, when he proposes a challenge she can't resist?

Spiritual arc: Josephine Christy is hanging onto HOPE by the slimmest thread, but she persists. My inspiration song reflects her emotions: Danny Gokey's Hope in Front of Me. 

Carrie also blogs at www.OvercomingwithGod.com  If you'd like to be added to her newsletter, which includes special giveaway opportunities to her readers, email Carrie at carriepromo@aol.com!

Giveaway: A copy of The Fruitcake Challenge novella (ebook on sale right now for only 99 cents through St. Patrick's Day and the cover reveal of my upcoming novella, The Lumberjacks' Ball) and the gifts below:

Scarf from Colonial Williamsburg  (Square, $20 value) and Quill Pen & Ink

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!

Introducing our new Colonial Quills members: Christy Distler, Pegg Thomas, Gabrielle Meyer, and Denise Weimer!!!  WELCOME ladies to the blog!!!

Christy Distler, Contributor at Colonial Quills

Christy Distler – Writes historical fiction set in southeastern Pennsylvania’s 18th-century Quaker community, as well as contemporary fiction. She owns Aspire Editing Services and also works for a small publishing house. Her short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry have been published in denominational periodicals, literary magazines, and anthologies. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and children, and is represented by Ruth Samsel of William K. Jensen Literary Agency. Christy has previously been a guest on CQ. 

Pegg Thomas, Contributor for Colonial Quills

Pegg Thomas is a life-long history geek, so it’s no surprise that historical fiction is her genre. Colonial America and the Civil War era are favorite time periods to both read and write. Her favorite type of book centers on a great fiction story surrounded by factual historical events. 

Her current WIP (work-in-progress) is the second novel in a trilogy set around the turn of the 19th century in America. The first novel is the hands of her agent, Linda Glaz with Heartline Literary Agency. Pegg has been a finalist in the 2013 ACFW First Impressions Contest and the 2014 Clash of the Titles Olympia. 

When not working on her latest novel, Pegg can be found in her garden, in her kitchen, or on her trusty old horse, Trooper. Pegg is in the process of moving from her hobby farm on the eastern side of Michigan to the western side with her husband of (mumble) years.

Gabrielle Meyers, Contributor at Colonial Quills

Gabrielle Meyer lives in central Minnesota on the banks of the Mississippi River with her husband and four young children. As an employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, she fell in love with the rich history of her state and enjoys writing fictional stories inspired by real people and events. Gabrielle can be found at www.gabriellemeyer.com where she writes about her passion for history, Minnesota, and her faith.

Author Denise Weimer, Contributor on Colonial Quills

Denise Weimer is the author of The Georgia Gold Series of four historical fiction novels set during the mid-1800s. She holds a journalism degree from Asbury University with a minor in history. Her magazine articles have been featured in numerous regional publications. She is currently researching for a colonial through 1920s/modern crossover trilogy set in the Georgia Piedmont.

Colonial Stairs

What will our guests do upstairs at the tavern? 

Shall we clear the floor so all can dance? 

Shall some stay overnight with us and awake to take their carriages home in the morning? 

Or shall an evening feast await the latecomers above stairs?
Aha! Look who favors us with a visit?
Our hero, George, a handsome Virginia gentleman if ever there was one! And he's a very good dancer, ladies!

Young Officer George Washington

The kitchens of Colonial Williamsburg (click on the picture to be taken to the post.)

Giveaways:   Lisa - two autographed copies of The Promise Keeper; Roseanna - a set of 3 biblical fiction ebooks (winner's choice of format); Susan Craft, two copies of Laurel; Joan - 2 copies of Northkill, Book 1 of the Northkill Amish Series, choice of print or ebook edition; Carla - 1 autographed copy of The Homestead Brides Collection; Elaine Marie Cooper - 1 signed copy Fields of the Fatherless, 1 signed copy Bethany's Calendar, Carrie's--see above.

Hear Ye!!! Hear Ye!!! ANNOUNCING our new Facebook page. Please follow us on FB (and you'll receive an extra entry in the giveaways!) https://www.facebook.com/colonialquills

Extra entries ALSO to those who post a gown and/or a comment on the Facebook party page, where we encourage our readers to post pictures related to this Tea Party!  Click here to go to the Facebook party page!