Sarah Tittle Bolton née Barrett (December 18, 1814 – August 4, 1893)
[ was an American poet and ]women's rights
Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...
activist who is considered an unofficial poet laureat of Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
. Bolton collaborated with Robert Dale Owen
Robert Dale Owen (7 November 1801 – 24 June 1877) was a Scottish-born Welsh social reformer who immigrated to the United States in 1825, became a U.S. citizen, and was active in Indiana politics as member of the Democratic Party in the Indian ...
during Indiana's 1850–1851 constitutional convention to include the recognition of women's property rights in the revised state constitution of 1851. Bolton was little known outside of Indiana, and her writings have been mostly forgotten. "Paddle Your Own Canoe" (1850), her most famous poem, and "Indiana," a poetic tribute to her longtime home, are among her best-known poems.
Early life and education
Sarah Tittle Barrett was born on December 18, 1814, in Newport Barracks
Newport Barracks was a military barracks on the Ohio River, across from Cincinnati, Ohio in Newport, Kentucky. It was operational from 1803 until 1894.
History
In 1803, James Taylor Jr. solicited the help of his cousin, James Madison, who was th ...
, Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
. She was one of Esther (Pendleton) and Jonathan Belcher Barrett's six children. Sarah was named for her paternal grandmother, Sarah (Tuttle) Barrett. Lemuel Barrett, her paternal grandfather, served in the Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
militia during 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 ...
. James Pendleton, her maternal grandfather, was a cousin of President James Madison
James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...
.[Dowling, pp. 2, 5.][Cottman, p. 182.]
The Barrett family moved to Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
when Sarah was a child around the age of three and settled on a farmstead in an area that was mostly wilderness in Jennings County, near present-day Vernon, Indiana
Vernon is a town within Vernon Township and the county seat of Jennings County, Indiana, United States. With a population of 318 in the 2010 census, it is the smallest town with that designation in the state of Indiana, lying just south of the ...
. In 1823, when Sarah was around the age of nine, her father moved the family from their isolated farm to Madison, Indiana
Madison is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River. As of the 2010 United States Census its population was 11,967. Over 55,000 people live within of downtown Madison. Madison is the larges ...
, so that the children could attend local schools.
Sarah Barrett learned to read and write while attending school in Madison. She also began to write poetry at an early age. At the age of thirteen her first published poem appeared in the ''Madison Banner''. As a young woman she became a regular contributor of poems to newspapers in Madison, Indiana, and Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
, Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
.[ Her poems attracted the attention of Nathaniel Bolton (July 25, 1803 – November 26, 1858), who was also coeditor of the ''Indianapolis Gazette'', the first newspaper published in ]Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
, Indiana.[
]
Marriage and family
Sarah Barrett married Nathaniel Bolton on October 15, 1831. The couple immediately moved to Indianapolis, where Sarah gained a wide reputation as a poet while her husband was editor at the ''Indianapolis Democrat and State Gazette'', the new name of the ''Indianapolis Gazette''. The Boltons also purchased a farm at Mount Jackson, which was a short distance west of Indianapolis along the National Road
The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the Federal Government of the United States, federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Pot ...
(present-day West Washington Street). When financial difficulties forced the Boltons to return to the farm on a full-time basis, they operated their farmhouse as a public tavern. It soon became a gathering place and social hub for state legislators and others.[Gugin and St. Clair, eds., pp. 26–27.]
The Boltons were the parents of two children, Sarah Adah "Sally" and James Pendleton.[James, James, and Boyer, eds., pp. 191–92.] In addition to running the tavern with her husband and caring for the family, she continued to write poetry. In 1845 the Boltons sold their farm to the State of Indiana as the site for what became known as the Indiana Hospital for the Insane, later renamed Central State Hospital.[
From 1851 to 1854 Nathaniel Bolton served as state librarian, and in 1854 he became clerk of a ]U.S. Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
committee in Washington, D.C.
)
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In 1855 President Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...
appointed him as U.S. Consul to Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
, Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. Sarah Bolton accompanied her husband to Europe. While Nathaniel conducted diplomatic duties in Switzerland Sarah traveled with their daughter. Ill health forced Nathaniel to resign after two years of diplomatice service and the family
. During this time Sarah acted as a correspondent for the Cincinnati ''Commercial''. they returned to Indianapolis in 1858. He died a few months after their return to Indiana.[
Following the death of her daughter, Bolton helped care for her young grandson, ]Bolton Smith
Bolton Smith (July 25, 1861 – March 27, 1935) was an American lawyer who was an early pioneer in the U.S. Scouting movement.
Personal life
Born in 1861 in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Francis Smith and Sarah Smith, received his early education ...
, who received his early education in Switzerland. After Bolton Smith's return to the United States, he became a lawyer and investment banker, as well as active at the national level with the Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...
in Washington, D.C. The early deaths of her daughter and first husband inspired Bolton's poem, "Two Graves."[
On September 15, 1863, five years after the death of her first husband, Sarah Bolton married Judge Addison Reese, of ]Canton, Missouri
Canton is a city in Lewis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,774 at the 2020 census. Canton is the home of Culver-Stockton College, a small liberal arts college affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). It al ...
. The couple lived in Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
for two years, but she found the climate unhealthy and returned to Indianapolis. Afterward, she only used the surname of Reese for business and legal matters, retaining the surname of Bolton for other purposes.[ After the failure of her second marriage, Bolton traveled in Europe for several years, including two years in residence at ]Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...
, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, before returning to Indiana, where she spent the remaining years of her life.[Dowling, p. 40.]
Career
During her first marriage Sarah Bolton continued to write poetry in addition to running the family's household and helping in her husband's publishing office.[Cottman, p. 183.] After the sale of the family farm at Mount Jackson in 1845 and Nathaniel Bolton's appointment as state librarian in 1851, the Boltons returned to Indianapolis, where Sarah continued to write poetry and became an active supporter of women's property rights. Nathaniel also became involved in civic and government affairs.[
Sarah Bolton became a well-known poet in Indiana, eventually becoming the state's unofficial ]poet laureate
A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ...
.[ However, despite the acclaim that Bolton received in her home state, she was not widely known elsewhere. Bolton's poems appeared in newspapers and periodicals such as '']Harper's Weekly
''Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization'' was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor, ...
'', but her literary work was not always attributed to her by name.[Cottman, pp. 184–85.]
Over the years Bolton's writings were mostly forgotten. Two of her best-known poems are "Indiana," a poetic tribute to her longtime home, and "Paddle Your Own Canoe." Bolton typically received little to no compensation for her work, although the ''Cincinnati Commercial
The ''Cincinnati Commercial Tribune'' was a major daily newspaper in Cincinnati, Ohio formed in 1896, and folded in 1930.(3 December 1930)OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN CINCINNATI QUITS; Commercial Tribune Stopped by McLean Interests After Political Shift in ...
'' once paid $15 for three of her poems.[ Several collections of her poetry were also published. ''Poems'' (New York, 1865) was Bolton's first collection of poetry, followed by ''The Life and Poems of Sarah T. Bolton'' (Indianapolis, 1880), and ''Songs of a Life-Time'' (Indianapolis, 1892). ''Paddle Your Own Canoe, and Other Poems'', published posthumously in 1897, is largely a reprint of ''Songs'', with the addition of a few poems.]
Bolton's poem, "Paddle Your Own Canoe," her most famous poem, was later set to music.[ "I Cannot Call Her Mother" and "A Reply to Katy Darling" are among her other musical compositions. As with her other writing, Bolton received little if any compensation for her songs, even after the sheet music was published and sold.][
In addition to writing poetry and composing music, Bolton was active in efforts to secure property rights for women in Indiana. Although ]Robert Dale Owen
Robert Dale Owen (7 November 1801 – 24 June 1877) was a Scottish-born Welsh social reformer who immigrated to the United States in 1825, became a U.S. citizen, and was active in Indiana politics as member of the Democratic Party in the Indian ...
is credited with securing passage of women's property rights, Bolton collaborated with him in efforts to lobby support from members of the Indiana General Assembly
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate. ...
. She also lobbied delegates attending the state's constitutional convention in 1851 in Indianapolis. In an 1851 letter to Bolton, Owen congratulated her efforts to the cause, which included writing numerous articles and letters for Indiana newspapers in support of women's property rights.[
While her husband served as U.S. consul to Geneva, Switzerland, in the mid-1850s she served as hostess for consul visitors and as a correspondent for the ''Cincinnati Commercial''.] After her return to Indiana, she continued to pursue her interests in social reform and a career as a poet.[
]
Later years
In 1871 Bolton purchased "Beech Bank," a farm about southeast of Indianapolis on the outskirts of present-day Beech Grove, Indiana
Beech Grove is a city in Marion County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city's population is 14,192. The city is located within the Indianapolis metropolitan area. Beech Grove is designated an "excluded city" under Indiana la ...
. Bolton later returned to Indianapolis, where she continued to write poetry until her death in 1893.[
]
Death and legacy
Bolton died in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 4, 1893. She is buried at Indianapolis's Crown Hill Cemetery
Crown Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located at 700 West 38th Street in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. The privately owned cemetery was established in 1863 at Strawberry Hill, whose summit was renamed "The Crown", a high poi ...
beside the remains of her first husband, Nathaniel Bolton. A simple inscription and epitaph marks her grave: "Sarah T. Bolton, 1814–1893, The first singer in a new land."[
Bolton was considered Indiana's foremost female poet for many years and its unofficial poet laureate.][
A complete collection of her poetry was published in Indianapolis in 1886.] She was also called the "Pioneer Poet Laureate of Indiana".[Mary Jean DeMarr, "Sarah T(itle Barrett) Bolton" in ] Most of Bolton's writings, including her narrative poetry, were idealistic and expressed her nostalgic views of early pioneer and farm life.[ Her poetry also had a "religious spirit," which present-day readers may consider overly "sentimental and trite."][ However, some of Bolton's poems show her concerns for social justice and sympathy for supporters of radical causes.] For example, "Ne Dormiat Deus" expresses Bolton's concerns for women's inequality; "Evicted," "Two Scenes,” and "Ye Sons of Toil" describe inequalities among social and economic classes; and "The Doomed Anarchist, " a poem inspired by Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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's 1886 Haymarket affair
The Haymarket affair, also known as the Haymarket massacre, the Haymarket riot, the Haymarket Square riot, or the Haymarket Incident, was the aftermath of a bombing that took place at a labor demonstration on May 4, 1886, at Haymarket Square (C ...
, protests the death penalty
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...
.[
The last stanza of "Paddle Your Own Canoe," sums up Bolton's philosophy of life:
]
Honors and tributes
* The town of Beech Grove, Indiana, purchased "Beech Bank," Bolton's former farm, in 1930; the site was renamed Sarah T. Bolton Park.[
* A commemorative bronze ]relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
by Emma Sangernebo in the Indiana Statehouse
The Indiana Statehouse is the state capitol building of the U.S. state of Indiana. It houses the Indiana General Assembly, the office of the Governor of Indiana, the Indiana Supreme Court, and other state officials. The Statehouse is located in ...
in Indianapolis was dedicated in 1941. It includes lines from Bolton's poem, “Indiana.”[
]
Selected published works
* ''Poems'' (1865)[
* ''The Life and Poems of Sarah T. Bolton'' (1880)][
* ''Songs Of A Life-Time'' (1892): ]John Clark Ridpath
John Clark Ridpath (April 26, 1840 – July 31, 1900) was an American educator, historian, and editor. His mother was a descendant of Samuel Matthews, a colonial governor of Virginia. Among his most notable works is a series of volumes on a his ...
, ed.[
* ''Paddle Your Own Canoe, and Other Poems'' (1897)]
Notes
References
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*DeMarr, Mary Jean, "Sarah T(itle Barrett) Bolton" in
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolton, Sarah T.
1814 births
1893 deaths
19th-century American women writers
American women singers
Poets from Kentucky
American women journalists
American women poets
American women's rights activists
Burials at Crown Hill Cemetery
Writers from Indiana
Writers from Kentucky
19th-century American poets
People from Newport, Kentucky
People from Jennings County, Indiana
People from Madison, Indiana
19th-century American journalists
Singers from Kentucky
19th-century American singers
Kentucky women musicians
Activists from Kentucky
Kentucky women writers
19th-century American women singers