Martha Haines Butt (after marriage, Bennett; November 22, 1833 – February 9, 1871) was an American

proslavery Proslavery is a support for slavery. It is found in the Bible, in the thought of ancient philosophers, in British writings and in American writings especially before the American Civil War but also later through 20th century. Arguments in favor o ...

author primarily known by her maiden name. She was a contributor to various periodicals and magazines, in both the

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north ...

and South. At the age of 19, she published '' Antifanaticism: A Tale of the South'', an

1853 Events January–March * January 6 – Florida Governor Thomas Brown signs legislation that provides public support for the new East Florida Seminary, leading to the establishment of the University of Florida. * January 8 – Taiping R ...

plantation fiction novel. Though she had written anti-woman's rights editorials in the 1850s, by 1870, she supported

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 ...

Biography

Martha Haines Butt was born in Norfolk, Virginia, November 22, 1833. She was an only child. Her father, Francis Butt, was of English ancestry; her mother, Mary Ann Morriss Butt, a

milliner Hat-making or millinery is the design, manufacture and sale of hats and other headwear. A person engaged in this trade is called a milliner or hatter. Historically, milliners, typically women shopkeepers, produced or imported an inventory of ...

, was of French ancestry. During the period of 1847–50, Butt was educated at Patapsco Female Institute in Ellicott's Mills, near

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, and received her diploma there. She was presented with a gold medal and the degree of A. M. ( Artium Magister) by Harrisburg Female College. Butt's first appearance in print was at the age of fourteen, although she had written for several years before that time. Her 1853 novel, ''Antifanaticism: A Tale of the South'', was a proslavery response to Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery book, ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U ...

''. Butt's volume of ''Leisure Moments'' was a collection of her short stories, essays, and sketches. ''Pastimes with Little Friends'' was published in 1866. Butt was an occasional contributor to the periodical press of the country, and a frequent writer to the '' Ladies' Home Journal''. On July 6, 1865, in Norfolk, she married Nathan Ives Bennett, of Bridgeport, Connecticut. They lived in Bridgeport before removing to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. After marriage, she continued to be primarily known by her maiden name. In 1870, Butt served as vice president of the Virginia State Woman Suffrage Association.

Death and legacy

Martha Haines Butt died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

at the Grand Central Hotel, New York City, February 9, 1871. Butt's arm and hand were copied as a model by the artist William Randolph Barbee, of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, for the statue of the ''Fisher Girl''.

Selected works

* '' Antifanaticism: A Tale of the South'', 1853 * ''The Leisure Moments of Miss Martha Haines Butt, A.M.'', 1860 * ''Pastimes with My Little Friends'', 1866

References

Attribution

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Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Butt, Martha Haines 1833 births 1871 deaths 19th-century American writers 19th-century American women writers 19th-century American novelists People from Norfolk, Virginia Writers from Virginia American suffragists American proslavery activists American women novelists Novelists from Virginia Deaths from pneumonia in New York City