Papers of Mary Reed Eastman, 1834-1987 (inclusive), 1834-1878 (bulk)
Overview
Papers of Mary Reed Eastman, including diaries and related article containing family history, etc.
Dates
- Creation: 1834-1987
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1834-1878
Language of Materials
Materials in English.
Access Restrictions:
Access. Originals closed; use digital images.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright. Copyright in the papers created by Mary Reed Eastman, as well as copyright in other papers in the collection, may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns.
Copying. Papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures.
Extent
3 foldersThe papers of Mary Reed Eastman include two small brown leather bound books containing legible, handwritten details of her wedding journey from December 1932 to July 1933. Topics include modes of travel used in early 19th century America; slavery and plantations; Native Americans; and the Great National Road, which was the nation's first federally funded road. Related papers, compiled by Margaret W. Anderson, the great-granddaughter of Mary Reed Eastman, include Anderson's 1987 article entitled "In My Own Tame Way," which features a select number of edited transcriptions from Eastman's diary, a brief family history; and photocopies of family correspondence and photographs.
BIOGRAPHY
Mary Reed Eastman (1806-1878) was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, the daughter of Benjamin Tyler and Rebecca Blackler Reed. She was an active member of the local church and attended the Women's Missionary meetings. In December 1832, she married the Reverend Ornan Eastman (1796-1874) in New York City and the couple embarked on a wedding journey from New York to the American South and returned by way of the Mid-West; a trip of more than 5,000 miles. Their travels were also part of Reverend Eastman's vocation as an ordained evangelist and his assignment as a general agent for the American Tract Society. During their travels, he preached in various locales along the way. His sermons, portions of which were included in the diary, as well as a visit with controversial Presbyterian minister Lyman Beecher and his family in Cincinnati, Ohio, were among the highlights described in the diary.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accession numbers: 1341, 74-189
The papers of Mary Reed Eastman were given to Schlesinger Library by Margaret W. Anderson, her granddaughter, in 1968 and 1974.
Processing Information
Processed: February, 1974
By: LJT
Updated and additional description added: August, 2020
By: Emilyn L. Brown.
The Schlesinger Library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit. Finding aids may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
- Author
- Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
- Language of description
- eng
- EAD ID
- sch01883
Repository Details
Part of the Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute Repository
The preeminent research library on the history of women in the United States, the Schlesinger Library documents women's lives from the past and present for the future. In addition to its traditional strengths in the history of feminisms, women’s health, and women’s activism, the Schlesinger collections document the intersectional workings of race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class in American history.