Mary Goddard

Mary Katharine Goddard (June 16, 1738 – August 12, 1816) was an early American publisher, and the postmaster of the Baltimore Post Office from 1775 to 1789. She was the older sister of William Goddard, also a publisher and printer. She was the second printer to print the Declaration of Independence. Her copy, the Goddard Broadside, was commissioned by Congress in 1777, and was the first to include the names of the signatories.
In 1998, Goddard was inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame.

Early life

Mary Katharine Goddard was born in Southern New England in 1738. She was the daughter of Dr. Giles Goddard and Sarah Updike Goddard. Her father was the postmaster of New London, Connecticut. Her brother, William Goddard (1740–1817), was a few years younger and had served an apprenticeship in the printing trade.

Printing career

The Goddard family (Mrs. Goddard, William Goddard and Mary Goddard) had set up a printing press, and were the first to publish a newspaper in Providence, RI, called ''The Providence Gazette''. However, William left Rhode Island to start a newspaper in Philadelphia. William also had been the publisher and printer of a revolutionary publication, the ''Maryland Journal''. Mary Goddard took control of the journal in 1774 while her brother was traveling to promote his ''Constitutional Post''; she continued to publish it throughout the American Revolutionary War until 1784, when her brother forced her to give up the newspaper amid an acrimonious quarrel.

In 1775, Mary Katharine Goddard became postmaster of the Baltimore post office. She also ran a book store and published an almanac in offices located around 250 Market Street (now East Baltimore Street, near South Street). Since taking over the ''Maryland Journal'', Goddard was very active in the American Revolution in regards to printing and was a strong supporter of the Americans. During the American Revolution, Goddard opposed the Stamp Act vehemently, recognizing it would increase the cost of printing. Goddard would reprint Thomas Paine's Common Sense and would speak out against British brutality. Additionally, Goddard would issue further versions regarding the Battle of Bunker Hill and Congress' call to arms.

When on January 18, 1777, the Second Continental Congress moved that the Declaration of Independence be widely distributed, Goddard was one of the first to offer the use of her press. This was in spite of the risks of being associated with what was considered a treasonable document by the British. Her copy, the Goddard Broadside, was the second printed, and the first to contain the typeset names of the signatories, including John Hancock. The names of secretary Charles Thomson and president John Hancock of the Continental Congress were the only two that were on earlier printed copies. Goddard also signed her name on the bottom of the document. It reads “Baltimore, in Maryland: Printed by Mary Katherine Goddard.” This however, was not the first time Goddard had printed her name. About 2 years earlier, she had started printing her name on the bottom of her newspaper''.'' However, she signed with “Published by M.K. Goddard" instead of her full.

Postmaster

Goddard was a successful postmaster for 14 years, from 1775 to 1789. In 1789, however, she was removed from the position by Postmaster General Samuel Osgood despite general protest from the Baltimore community. Osgood asserted that the position required "more traveling ... than a woman could undertake" and appointed a political ally of his to replace her.

Goddard generally did not take part in public controversies, preferring to maintain editorial objectivity; therefore, few articles contain her personal opinions, and her defense was not mounted publicly. On November 12, 1789, over 230 citizens of Baltimore, including more than 200 leading businessmen, presented a petition demanding her reinstatement, which was unsuccessful.

Later life

Goddard remained in Baltimore after her dismissal as Postmaster. She continued to run, until 1809 or 1810, a bookshop that had previously been an adjunct to her printing business, and sold books, stationery, and dry goods. Goddard died August 12, 1816, still beloved by her community, and was buried in the graveyard of the St. Paul’s Parish.

See also

* List of women printers and publishers before 1800
* ''Pennsylvania Chronicle''
* William Goddard (printer)

References

Sources

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Further reading

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Goddard, Mary Katharine
1738 births
1816 deaths
18th-century American businesswomen
18th-century American businesspeople
18th-century American newspaper publishers (people)
American printers
American publishers (people)
Businesspeople from Baltimore
Maryland postmasters
People of Maryland in the American Revolution
People from colonial Connecticut
People from colonial Maryland
Women in the American Revolution
Women printers