Eliza Farnham (November 17, 1815 – December 15, 1864) was a 19th-century American novelist,

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

, and activist for

prison reform Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, improve the effectiveness of a penal system, or implement alternatives to incarceration. It also focuses on ensuring the reinstatement of those whose lives are impacted by crimes. ...

Biography

She was born in Rensselaerville, New York. She moved to

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

in 1835, and there married

Thomas J. Farnham Thomas Jefferson Farnham (1804–1848) was an explorer and author of the American West in the first half of the 19th century. His travels included interaction with missionary Jason Lee, and he later led a wagon train on the Oregon Trail. While in O ...

in 1836, but returned to New York in 1841. In 1843 she wrote a series of articles for '' Brother Jonathan'' refuting John Neal's call for

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

in that same newspaper, though

Elizabeth Cady Stanton Elizabeth Cady Stanton (November 12, 1815 – October 26, 1902) was an American writer and activist who was a leader of the women's rights movement in the U.S. during the mid- to late-19th century. She was the main force behind the 1848 Seneca ...

and

Susan B. Anthony Susan B. Anthony (born Susan Anthony; February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906) was an American social reformer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement. Born into a Quaker family committed to s ...

wrote in 1887 that "Mrs. Farnham lived long enough to retrace her ground and accept the highest truth." In 1844, through the influence of

Horace Greeley Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American newspaper editor and publisher who was the founder and newspaper editor, editor of the ''New-York Tribune''. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congressm ...

and other reformers, she was appointed matron of the women's ward at

Sing Sing Prison Sing Sing Correctional Facility, formerly Ossining Correctional Facility, is a maximum-security prison operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in the village of Ossining, New York. It is about north o ...

. She strongly believed in the use of

phrenology Phrenology () is a pseudoscience which involves the measurement of bumps on the skull to predict mental traits.Wihe, J. V. (2002). "Science and Pseudoscience: A Primer in Critical Thinking." In ''Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience'', pp. 195–203. C ...

to treat prisoners. Farnham was influential in changing the types of reading materials available to women prisoners. The purpose of her choices was not entertainment but improving behavior. She also advocated using music and kindness in the rehabilitation of female prisoners. Farnham retained the office of matron until 1848 when, amid controversy over her choices and beliefs, she resigned in 1848. She then moved to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, and was for several months connected with the management of the Institution for the Blind. In 1849 she travelled to California with her two sons, having inherited property there, and remained there until 1856, when she returned to New York. For the two years following, she devoted herself to the study of medicine, and in 1859 organized a society to assist destitute women in finding homes in the west, taking charge in person of several companies of this class of emigrants. She subsequently returned to California. She died from

consumption Consumption may refer to: *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically * Consumption (ecology), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of newly produced goods for curren ...

in New York City at the age of 49. She was an atheist.Knepper, Paul. Writing the History of Crime. London: Bloomsbury Academic, an Imprint of Bloomsbury Plc, 2016. Print. "...like Eliza Farnham: atheist, phrenologist..."

Publications

*''Life in the Prairie Land'', 1846 - An account of life on the Illinois prairie near Pekin between 1836 and 1840. *''California, In-doors and Out'', 1856 - A chronicle of her experiences and observations on California. *''My Early Days'', 1859 - An autobiographical novel. *''Woman and Her Era'', 1864 - "Organic, religious, esthetic, and historical" arguments for woman's inherent superiority. * ''The Ideal Attained'', 1865 - The heroine molds the hero into a worthy mate.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Farnham, Eliza 1815 births 1864 deaths American abolitionists American feminist writers 19th-century American memoirists 19th-century American novelists American pioneers Novelists from New York (state) Activists from California Writers from California Novelists from Illinois People from Tazewell County, Illinois Phrenologists Prison reformers American women novelists People from Rensselaerville, New York American women memoirists 19th-century American women writers Activists from New York (state)

Biography

Publications

References

Further reading

External links