Esther de Berdt Reed (October 22, 1746 – September 18, 1780) was active in the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
as a civic leader for soldiers' relief, who formed and led the Ladies Association of Philadelphia to provide aid for
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
's troops during the war.
Early life
Esther de Berdt was born in
London, England
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...
on October 22, 1746, into a family descended of
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
refugees from
Ypres
Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though
the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...
, who had fled the "Spanish Fury" led by the
Duke of Alba. Her family (including her younger brother) called her Hette or Hettie and she loved books very much. At the age of twenty-three, Esther married
Joseph Reed, an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
who had studied law in London. Thereafter, she and her widowed mother followed him to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
in the American colonies.
Joseph Reed became a prosperous lawyer and a local political leader, and the couple entertained members of the
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...
, including George Washington and
John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...
.
Joseph Reed later served as Washington's secretary and
aide-de-camp.
Later life
Though she was English by birth, Reed was exceptionally devoted to the revolutionary cause. During the Revolutionary War, she helped organize the Ladies Association of Philadelphia which raised more than $300,000 in support of the war. At the suggestion of General Washington, the group then used the funds to purchase
linen
Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant.
Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...
and sew clothing for American troops. Reed had wanted to give the men gold or silver coins, something above and beyond what they would normally receive, but Washington feared the money would be used for liquor. He also had each volunteer seamstress, whether married or unmarried, sew her name into the clothing she made. More than 2,200 shirts for the soldiers were created from the funds and the labor of these women. For Reed's efforts in support of the American cause, she was recognized as a
Daughter of Liberty.
Unfortunately, Reed did not live to see her efforts fully realized. She died on September 18, 1780, at the young age of 34.
Sarah Franklin Bache, daughter of
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...
, took over Reed's position and finished the patriotic project. Though she did not see the project finished, Reed's efforts did not go unacknowledged. She was recognized as a Daughter of Liberty, and women in several colonies, including Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia, followed her example by starting similar fundraising organizations. Her commitment to the Revolution is especially noteworthy because she was British; she had lived in America only a few years before the war against her homeland began. In writing about her reasons for this unusual action, Esther Reed made it clear that freedom was her motivation, and that women also were capable of publishing political thought.
During an evacuation of Philadelphia, she fled with her six children to
Flemington, New Jersey. She was initially buried in the
Arch Street
Arch Street is a major east-west street in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
History
The street was called Mulberry Street in William Penn's original city grid, but it was renamed Arch in 1854. Other parts of the street were once called Hol ...
Presbyterian Church cemetery in Philadelphia but presently resides in
Laurel Hill Cemetery
Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1836, it was the second major rural cemetery in the United States after Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts.
The cemetery is ...
. Her epitaph reads:
Tips/Advice
Reed contributed to "The Sentiments of an American Woman," a broadside published in Philadelphia on 10 January 1780, which appealed for women's war support and declared that women were the equals of men in patriotism. The call to action was successful and the Ladies Association of Philadelphia became the largest women's organization of the Revolutionary War.
Research Places
Book reading
*Roberts, Cokie. ''Founding Mothers'' (2004: New York:Harper Collins, p. 118-130)
Useful links
Biographic sketch of Esther de Berdt at White House website for children
{{DEFAULTSORT:De Berdt, Esther
1746 births
1780 deaths
Women in the American Revolution
People of colonial Pennsylvania
People of Pennsylvania in the American Revolution
First Ladies and Gentlemen of Pennsylvania
Huguenot participants in the American Revolution
People from London
18th-century Protestants
American people of Belgian descent
Reed family (Pennsylvania and New Jersey)
English people of Belgian descent
British emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies