Exploring the Legacy of the Founding Mothers

“Were I to personify Justice, instead of presenting her blind, I would denominate her the goddess of fire. . . Of unbending integrity Justice should feel, hear and see; but truth alone should be the polar star by which she should shape her movements, and equity only should constrain her determinations.”

Judith Sargent Murray (1992). “The gleaner”, Syracuse Univ Press

Judith Sargent Murray (May 1, 1751–July 6, 1820) was an early American feminist who wrote essays on political, social, and religious themes. She was also a gifted poet and dramatist, and her letters, some recently discovered, give insight into her life during and after the American Revolution. She is especially known for her essays about the American Revolution under the pseudonym “The Gleaner” and for her feminist essay, “On the Equality of the Sexes.” 

Fast Facts: Judith Sargent Murray

• Known For: Early feminist essayist, poet, novelist, and dramatist
• Born: May 1, 1751 in Gloucester, Massachusetts
• Parents: Winthrop Sargent and Judith Saunders
• Died: July 6, 1820 in Natchez, Mississippi
• Education: Tutored at home
• Published Works: On the Equality of the Sexes, Sketch of the Present Situation in America, Story of Margaretta, Virtue Triumphant, and The Traveller Returned
• Spouse(s): Captain John Stevens (m. 1769–1786); Rev. John Murray (m. 1788–1809).
• Children: With John Murray: George (1789) who died as an infant, and a daughter, Julia Maria Murray (1791–1822)

Source: Jone Johnson Lewis, Thought Co.,

(updated on 07-16-2019)

Let me be perfectly clear. When I learned American history in my early public education in the schools and universities of Texas during the 1950s and 60s, I can’t remember one reference to the Founding Mothers. I remember Betsy Ross sewing our flag, but I didn’t realize she was married three times, and had worked to become a government contractor in a business she passed on to her daughter and granddaughters. Betsy Ross – I pictured a little old woman sitting around in a tiny room sewing alone. No, not a hobby – it was how this working mother supported her family during the American Revolution.

Return with me now to those thrilling days of yesteryear two hundred fifty years ago when the original dreams of America began. Hear the voices which longed to be heard as they searched for equal justice and truth telling in the new World.

Betsy Ross would be pleased with our granddaughter’s flag