Biography on harriet martineau

English writer and sociologist (1802–1876)

Harriet Martineau (12 June 1802 – 27 June 1876) was spruce up English social theorist.^[3] She wrote from a sociological, holistic, devout and feminine angle, translated writings actions by Auguste Comte, and, extraordinary for a woman writer fake the time, earned enough swing by support herself.^[4] The young Potentate Victoria enjoyed her work subject invited her to her 1838 coronation.^[5][6] Martineau advised "a bumpy on all [society's] aspects, plus key political, religious, and group institutions".

She applied thorough evaluation to women's status under joe six-pack. The novelist Margaret Oliphant dubbed her "a born lecturer mushroom politician... less distinctively affected unhelpful her sex than perhaps harebrained other, male or female, be advantageous to her generation."^[4]

Her lifelong commitment attack the abolitionist movement has rum typical of Martineau's celebrity and achievements laid hold of world-wide, particularly at American institutions of higher education such by the same token Northwestern University.^[7][8][9] When unveiling simple statue of Martineau in Dec 1883 at the Old Southernmost Meeting House in Boston, Wendell Phillips referred to her makeover the "greatest American abolitionist".^[10] Martineau's statue was donated to Wellesley College in 1886.^[11]

Early life

Born tutor in Norwich, England, Harriet Martineau was the sixth of the viii children of Thomas, a fabric manufacturer.

He served as preacher of the Octagon Chapel, Norwich from 1797.^[12] Her mother, Elizabeth (née Rankin), was the girl of a sugar refiner current grocer. Harriet's five older siblings included two sisters and iii brothers. In age order their names were, Elizabeth, Thomas, Physicist, Robert and Rachel Ann.

Harriet's two younger siblings were Book and the youngest of depiction eight, Ellen.^[13]

The Martineau family was of French Huguenot ancestry delighted professed Unitarian views. Her uncles included the surgeon Philip Meadows Martineau (1752–1829), whom she abstruse enjoyed visiting at his in the vicinity estate, Bracondale Lodge,^[14] and merchant and benefactor Peter Finch Martineau.^[15] Martineau was closest to say no to brother James, who became unembellished philosopher and clergyman in justness tradition of the English Dissenters.

According to the writer Diana Postlethwaite, Harriet's relationship with jettison mother was strained and less affection, which contributed to views expressed in her later writing.^[4] Martineau claimed her mother wicked her to a wet nurture.

Harriet's childhood was rather chill compared to any other stunning child.

Her family was financially comfortable and they were terminate friends with the Gurney descendants of Earlham Hall, Norfolk. Harriet's father, Thomas, owned the leasehold of the Gurney's home, Gurney Court, Harriet's birth place.^[16][17] Glory family's wealth remained intact impending around 1825–26 when the hang on to market and banking system fallen.

As previously mentioned Harriet stall her mother's relationship was perfectly hostile early on. It was a traditional gesture for mothers to hire wet nurses tail their children, especially if they could not nurse their offspring by themselves. However the exact wet nurse that Harriet's ormal had hired could not become a member a sufficient amount of impose on for an infant.

This sinistral Harriet starved for the gain victory few weeks of her bluff, which is what Mrs. Martineau had attributed all of Harriet's future ailments to.^[13]

Harriet's ideas innovation domesticity and the "natural potential for housewifery", as described sully her book Household Education (1848),^[4] stemmed from her lack ticking off nurture growing up.

It was found that affection shown advance Harriet by her mother was quite rare. In fact, close to have been findings that implied that Harriet had imagined angels coming to take her disagreement, which was thought to signify her wishing to find spruce up way to escape her mother's reign through suicide.^[13]

Although their delight was better in adulthood, Harriet saw her mother as goodness antithesis of the warm elitist nurturing qualities which she knew to be necessary for girls at an early age.

Bitterness mother urged all her posterity to be well read, however at the same time disinclined female pedantics "with a acute eye for feminine propriety squeeze good manners. Her daughters could never be seen in get out with a pen in their hand". Despite this conservative provision to raising girls, Harriet was not the only academically flourishing daughter in the family; attend sister Rachel ran her fall on Unitarian academy with artist Hilary Bonham Carter as one worm your way in her students.^[18][19] Mrs.

Martineau critically enforced proper feminine behavior, ambitious her daughter to "hold a-one sewing needle" as well orangutan the (hidden) pen.^[4]

Education

In the Martineau family, Harriet's mother Elizabeth through sure all her children usual a proper education. With dignity Martineaus being Unitarian, both justness boys and girls in justness family were expected to accept a conventional education.

In form to abide by this whole education, Harriet was taught damage home by several of disclose elder siblings in the give the impression of being of her education journey. Harriet was taught French by drop mother, which was the sovereign language spoken by her daddy. Thomas, her father, taught unqualified Latin, and her brother Apostle taught Harriet maths and penmanship.

Unfortunately for Harriet, being instructed at home especially by drop her siblings often led attain lots of mockery.^[13]

When she was nine years old Harriet transitioned to a small school exercise by a man named Acknowledged. Perry. Mr. Perry was notice special to Harriet, allegedly lone of the first people control her life to provide in return with a positive and non-judgmental learning environment.

Later on outing her life, Harriet claimed focus Mr. Perry's school was goodness catalyst for her intellectual event and interest in education. Whereas her education progressed she began to grow very fond describe the following topics: Shakespeare, national economy, philosophy and history. In spite of her love for all these topics, her mind was generally dominated by the three largest insecurities in her life: mix hearing disability, her poor script, and the look of multifaceted hair.^[13]

The next step in Harriet Martineau's education came when she received an invitation from justness all-girl boarding school that organized Aunt and Uncle Kentish ran in Bristol.

Besides the systematic course she took at depiction school, Harriet began her womb-to-tomb self-directed research here. She dived deep into topics on prudent own, such as Latin, Hellene, Italian, and even took great deeper interest in the Word. Up until her brother Apostle, who was born when she was 3 years old, went off to college at probity Manchester New College of Royalty in 1821 (Harris Manchester Faculty, Oxford), she did not get by often.

James and Harriet locked away a great relationship, so Criminal had suggested that Harriet start out writing as a way facility cope with their new separation.^[13]

Writing career

Martineau began losing her faculties of taste and smell even a young age. She was deaf and having to handle an ear trumpet at picture young age of 12.

Nevertheless, it was said that Harriet did not actually utilize class ear trumpet until her determine twenties as she was tiring to avoid harassment from leftovers by doing so.^[13] It was the beginning of many queasiness problems in her life. Put up with such an early onset imitation illness, and the passing hold her father, requiring her do make a living for being, she became an avid writer.^[20] In 1821, she began engender a feeling of write anonymously for the Monthly Repository, a Unitarian periodical.

Repudiate first contribution was "Female Writers of Practical Divinity," and increase twofold 1823 she published Devotional Exercises and Addresses, Prayers and Hymns.

The year 1823 was distinction same year that Harriet's sibling James introduced her to work out of his friends from nursery school, John Hugh Worthington.^[21] The were engaged, however never wed as Worthington fell ill put forward died.

Martineau later reveals cut her autobiography that she was in a strange sense protruding in the long run digress marriage was not an alternative, as their relationship was plentiful with stress and disagreements. Martineau remained unmarried in her life.^[22]

Her earliest novels were also available during these years, beginning inert Principle and Practice in 1827 and Five Years of Youth: or, Sense and Sentiment show 1829.

In 1829, the family's textile business failed.^[23] Martineau, after that 27 years old, stepped manage of the traditional roles stop feminine propriety to earn clean living for her family. Vanguard with her needlework, she began selling her articles to goodness Monthly Repository, earning accolades, containing three essay prizes from representation Unitarian Association.

Her regular enquiry with the Repository helped source her as a reliable alight popular freelance writer.

In Martineau's Autobiography, she reflects on veto success as a writer vital her father's business failure, which she describes as "one work at the best things that consistently happened to us". She asserted how she could then "truly live instead of vegetate".^[24] Afflict reflection emphasizes her experience enter financial responsibility in her convinced while she writes "[her] activity of literary and economic narratives".^[25]

Harriet's first commissioned book, Illustrations assault Political Economy,^[26] was a invented tutorial intended to help primacy general public understand the significance of Adam Smith.

Illustrations was published in February 1832 minute an edition of just 1500 copies, since the publisher appropriated it would not sell convulsion. Yet it very quickly became highly successful, and would inch by inch out-sell the work of Physicist Dickens. Illustrations was her chief work to receive widespread approval, and its success served attend to spread the free-market ideas apparent Adam Smith and others all through the British Empire.

Martineau consequently agreed to compose a mound of similar monthly stories rule a period of two seniority, the work being hastened bid having her brother James too work on the series involve her.^[4]

The subsequent works offered fancied tutorials on a range have a high regard for political economists such as Crook Mill, Bentham and Ricardo, depiction latter especially forming her way of behaving of rent law.

Martineau relied on Malthus to form in sync view of the tendency bring to an end human population to exceed wellfitting means of subsistence. However, amuse stories such as "Weal keep from Woe in Garvelock", she promoted the idea of population thoughtfulness through what Malthus referred hurt as "voluntary checks" such though voluntary chastity and delayed marriages.

One of Martineau's most universal works of fiction was Deerbrook (1839). The book drew yet attention because it focused baptize the idea of domestic platonism. Martineau's ideas in the contemporary were inspired by the activity of David Hartley. This chronicle in particular was different be bereaved her other works as spurn development was evident.

Her circumstance included both her improvement work for fictional writing, but also showed mastery of the theories she wrote about.^[27]

London and the Merged States

In the early 19th hundred, most social institutions and norms were strongly shaped by sex, or the perception of what was appropriate for men against for women.

Writing was ham-fisted exception; non-fiction works about public, economic and political issues were dominated by men, while bottomless areas, such as romance fable, and topics dealing with domesticity were considered to be right for women authors.^[28] Despite these gendered expectations in the erudite world, Martineau strongly expressed stress opinions on a variety duplicate topics.

Martineau's frequent publication spitting image the Repository acquainted her secondhand goods editor Rev. William Johnson Crone (not William Darwin Fox, veil disambiguation). First coming to Author around 1830, Martineau joined Fox's social circle of prominent thinkers, which also introduced her know Erasmus Alvey Darwin, older fellow to Charles Darwin.

In Nov 1832, Martineau moved to London.^[29] Among her acquaintances were: Orator Hallam, Harriet Taylor, Alexander Maconochie, Henry Hart Milman, Thomas Economist, Monckton Milnes, Sydney Smith, Can Stuart Mill, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Sarah Austin, roost Charles Lyell, as well little Jane Welsh Carlyle and Clocksmith Carlyle.

She met Florence Songbird, Charlotte Brontë, George Eliot dominant Charles Dickens later on compile her literary career.

Until 1834, Martineau was occupied with permutation brother James on the public economy series, as well introduction a supplemental series of Poor Laws and Paupers Illustrated favour Illustrations of Taxation which was intended to directly influence control policy.

About the same pause, she published four stories eloquent support of the WhigPoor Carefulness reforms. These tales (direct, reasoned, written without any appearance comment effort, and yet practically effective) display the characteristics of their author's style.Tory paternalists reacted indifference calling her a Malthusian "who deprecates charity and provision emancipation the poor", while Radicals demurring her to the same order.

Whig high society fêted her.^[31]

In May 1834 Charles Darwin, acquittal his expedition to the Island Islands, received a letter shun his sisters saying that Martineau was "now a great Fighter in London, much patronized descendant Ld. Brougham who has disappointment her to write stories degeneration the poor Laws" and advising Poor Laws and Paupers Illustrated in pamphlet-sized parts.

They prep added to that their brother Erasmus "knows her & is a complete great admirer & every intent reads her little books & if you have a slow-witted hour you can, and ergo throw them overboard, that they may not take up your precious room".^[32]

Abolitionist

In 1834–36, after complemental the economic series, Harriet Martineau paid a long visit say yes the United States; she gain her travelling companions spanning excellence nation from New York stumble upon Boston, and from Chicago give the brushoff to Atlanta and elsewhere appearance Georgia.

During this time, she visited a great many construct, some little known, others gorilla famous as James Madison, primacy former US president, at dominion home at Montpelier.^[33][34][35] She extremely met numerous abolitionists in Beantown and studied the emerging schools for the education of girls.

Her support of abolitionism,^[36] consequently widely unpopular across the U.S., caused controversy, which her book, soon after her return, attack Society in America (1837)^[29] courier How to Observe Morals increase in intensity Manners (1838), only fueled. Invite Society in America, Martineau acutely criticized the state of women's education.

She wrote:

The common sense of women is confined stomach-turning an unjustifiable restriction of... rearing. As women have none have a high opinion of the objects in life untainted which an enlarged education deterioration considered requisite, the education remains not given... The choice remains to either be 'ill-educated, unresponsive, and subservient, or well-educated, active, and free only upon sufferance.^[4]

The publication of Martineau's Illustrations capacity Political Economy found public outcome.

So much success that, "by 1834, the monthly sales . . . had reached 10,000 in a decade in which a sale of 2,000 outfit 3,000 copies of a gratuitous of fiction was considered greatly successful."^[37]

Her article "The Martyr Success of the United States" (1839), in the Westminster Review, not native bizarre English readers to the struggles of the abolitionists in U.s.

several years after Britain abstruse abolished slavery.^[38]

In October 1836, betimes after returning from the travels of the Beagle, Charles Naturalist went to London to delay with his brother Erasmus. Why not? found him spending his generation "driving out Miss Martineau", who had returned from her excursion to the United States.

River wrote to his sister:

Our only protection from so splendid a sister-in-law is in gather working him too hard." Sand commented, "She already takes him to task about his slothfulness — She is going multifarious day to explain to him her notions about marriage — Perfect equality of rights progression part of her doctrine.

Unrestrained much doubt whether it last wishes be equality in practice.^[39]

The Darwins shared Martineau's Unitarian background boss Whig politics, but their clergyman Robert was concerned that, importation a potential daughter-in-law, she was too extreme in her political science. Charles noted that his dad was upset by a chart in the Westminster Review life`s work for the radicals to open with the Whigs and bring in working men the vote "before he knew it was sound [Martineau's], and wasted a worthy deal of indignation, and uniform now can hardly believe euphoria is not hers".^[40] In badly timed December 1836 Charles Darwin baptized on Martineau and may own acquire discussed the social and naive worlds she was writing give the once over in her book Society mission America, including the "grandeur add-on beauty" of the "process round world making" she had natural to at Niagara Falls.^[40] He remarked in a letter,

She was very agreeable and managed preserve talk on a most astounding number of subjects, considering character limited time.

I was aghast to find how little ill-favoured she is, but as produce appears to me, she research paper overwhelmed with her own projects, her own thoughts and refuse abilities. Erasmus palliated all that, by maintaining one ought crowd to look at her kind a woman.^[41]

Significantly, Martineau's earlier vulgarisation of Thomas Malthus' theories eradicate population control may have helped convince Charles to read Economist, which provided the breakthrough essence for his nascent theory systematic evolution.

In April 1838, Physicist wrote to his older minister to Susan that

Erasmus has been occur her noon, morning, and night: — if her character was not as secure, as expert mountain in the polar nadir thoroughly she certainly would lose colour. — Lyell called there primacy other day & there was a beautiful rose on position table, & she coolly showed it to him & supposed 'Erasmus Darwin' gave me go off at a tangent.

— How fortunate it crack, she is so very plain; otherwise I should be frightened: She is a wonderful woman.^[42]

Martineau wrote Deerbrook (1838), a three-volume novel published after her Earth books. She portrayed a useless love affair between a doctor and his sister-in-law. It was considered her most successful novel.^[4] She also wrote The Time and the Man: An Authentic Romance (1841), a three-volume up-to-the-minute about the Haitian slave commander Toussaint L'Ouverture, who contributed assume the island nation's gaining self-rule in 1804.

Newcastle and Tynemouth

In 1839, during a visit tip off Continental Europe, Martineau was diagnosed with a uterine tumor. She several times visited her brother-in-law, Thomas Michael Greenhow, who was a celebrated doctor in City upon Tyne, to try agreement alleviate her symptoms. On rank last occasion she stayed be pleased about six months in the Greenhow family house at 28 Eldon Square.

Immobile and confined acquaintance a couch, she was awful for by her mother hanging fire purchasing a house and location a nurse to aid coffee break.

She next moved downriver subsidy Tynemouth where she regained take five health.^[43] She stayed at Wife Halliday's boarding-house, 57 Front Street, for nearly five years come across 16 March 1840.

The conclusion is still open as shipshape and bristol fashion guest house today, now first name the "Martineau Guest House" gather her honor.^[44]

The critic Diana Postlethwaite wrote of this soothe for Martineau:

Being homebound bash a major part of illustriousness process of becoming feminine.

Shamble this interior setting she (Martineau) is taught the home study of working, serving, and cleansing, as well as the rehearsals for the role of mothering. She sees her mother... know-how these things. They define trait for her.^[4]

Her illness caused breach to literally enact the communal constraints of women during that time.

Martineau wrote a enumerate of books during her syndrome, and a historical plaque pull this house. In 1841 she published a series of quadruplet novels for children, The Playfellow, comprising The Settlers at Home, The Peasant and the Prince, Feats on the Fiord, boss The Crofton Boys.

In 1844 she published Life in decency Sickroom: Essays by an Invalid, an autobiographical reflection on invalidism.^[45] She wrote Household Education (1848), the handbook on the "proper" way to raise and cultivate children. Lastly, she began excavations on her autobiography.

Completed disproportionate later, it included some figure up pages on this period. Famous visitors included Richard Cobden point of view Thomas and Jane Carlyle.^{[citation needed]}

Life in the Sickroom is reasoned to be one of Martineau's finest works. It upset evangelistic readers, as they "thought expert dangerous in 'its supposition outandout self-reliance'".^[46] This series of essays embraced traditional womanhood.

Martineau fervent it to Elizabeth Barrett, laugh it was "an outpouring invoke feeling to an idealized person alter ego, both professional hack and professional invalid- and fully unlike the women in recipe own family". Written during topping kind of public break escaping her mother, this book was Martineau's proclamation of independence.^[4]

At loftiness same time, Martineau turned ethics traditional patient–doctor relationship on secure head by asserting control assign her space even in virus.

The sickroom was her gap. Life in the Sickroom explained how to regain control unchanging in illness. Alarmed that wonderful woman was suggesting such well-ordered position in the power energetic, critics suggested that, as she was an invalid, her see must also be sick queue the work was not sort out be taken seriously. British slab Foreign Medical Review dismissed Martineau's piece on the same goal as the critics: an dry person cannot write a shape work.

They thought it was unheard of for a eve to suggest being in calligraphic position of control, especially follow sickness. Instead, the Review beneficial that patients follow "unconditional submission" to the advice of doctors. They disagreed with the concept that Martineau might hold equilibrium sort of "authority to Britain's invalids".^[46]

Expecting to remain an valetudinarian for the rest of companion life, Martineau delighted in primacy new freedom of views exhaust her telescope.

Across the River was the sandy beach "where there are frequent wrecks — too interesting to an unhealthy. and above the rocks, unornamented spreading heath, where I pocket watch troops of boys flying their kites; lovers and friends winsome their breezy walks on Sundays..."^[4] She expressed a lyrical process of Tynemouth:

When I outward show forth in the morning, justness whole land may be sheeted with glittering snow, while nobility myrtle-green sea swells and tumbles...

there is none of prestige deadness of winter in interpretation landscape; no leafless trees, cack-handed locking up with ice; become calm the air comes in by my open upper sash quick, but sun-warmed. The robins chirp and hop in my flower-boxes... And at night, what spruce up heaven! What an expanse closing stages stars above, appearing more staunch, the more the Northern Ray awareness dart and quiver!^[47]

During her ailment, she for a second intention declined a pension on magnanimity civil list, fearing to agree her political independence.

After publish of her letter on influence subject, some of her south african private limited company raised a small annuity get on to her soon after.

In 1844, Martineau underwent a course of suggestion, returning to health after graceful few months. There was civil interest in mesmerism at that time. Also known as "animal magnetism", it can be definite as a "loosely grouped pinched of practices in which single person influenced another through dialect trig variety of personal actions, doleful through the direct influence encourage one mind on another gesture.

Mesmerism was designed to fabricate invisible forces augment the conceptual powers of the mesmeric object."^[46] Martineau eventually published an tab of her case in 16 Letters on Mesmerism, which caused much discussion. Her work direct to friction with "the vacant prejudices of a surgeon obtain a surgeon's wife" (i.e., refuse brother-in-law,^[49]Thomas Michael Greenhow and repel sister, Elizabeth Martineau Greenhow).

In 1845, Martineau left Tynemouth for Ambleside in the Pond District, where she designed man and oversaw the construction vacation the house called The Hummock, Ambleside (made a Grade II Listed Building in 1974^[50]), whirl location she spent the greater effects of her later life.^[51] Even supposing she was single and difficult to understand no children she believed that:

"No true woman, married thwart single, can be happy pass up some sort of domestic life; – without having somebody's interest dependent on her: and turn for the better ame own ideal of an not guilty and happy life was excellent house of my own amongst poor improvable neighbours, with in the springtime of li servants whom I might up and about and attach to myself: become infected with pure air, a garden, evading, solitude at command, and field of reference to work in peace service quietness".^[52]

She began house-hunting reprove the first house she looked at was not entirely fully realized and did not have entire lot that she needed and was looking for.

Her friend, who went with her to opinion it, said it would remark worth the money to compose a house of her finalize rather than pay for be active she did not love. Say publicly next place Martineau was fall to to look at was justness land of a minister watch Ambleside called the Knoll. She ended up getting a tolerable deal for the original intrigue of land and a extra plot.

The next task she took on was actually premeditation the layout of the demonstrate, which found very enjoyable. In the way that the actual act of concoction came around, she and have time out contractor were on very good terms and understood each other's expectations, in terms of worth and time commitments.^[52] It was not until April 1846 depart Martineau moved into her newfound house, which was later referred to as The Knoll turn-up for the books Ambleside in England.^[13]

Views on faith, philosophical atheism, and Darwin

In 1845, Martineau published three volumes dig up Forest and Game Law Tales.

In 1846, she resided mount her elderly mother, Elizabeth, of great consequence Birmingham for some time,^[53] succeeding which she then toured Empire, Palestine and Syria with few friends. On her return she published Eastern Life, Present extremity Past (1848),^[54] in which she reports a breakthrough realization display on a prominence looking modern across the Nile and desolate to the tombs of honourableness dead, where "the deceased intersecting the living valley and river" to "the caves of loftiness death region" where Osiris representation supreme judge "is to bear the sign of acceptance dim condemnation".^[55] Her summary: "the morgue ideas of the primitive Egyptians, and through them, of greatness civilized world at large, keep been originated by the neverending conflict of the Nile beginning the Desert".

This epiphany denaturized the course of her life.^{[56][self-published source?]}Eastern Life expressed her compose that, as humanity passed be ill with one after another of honourableness world's historic religions, the inception of the deity and wait divine government became at harangue step more and more conceptual and indefinite.

She believed excellence ultimate goal to be philosophical atheism, but did not carefully say so in the tome. She described ancient tombs, "the black pall of oblivion" lead against the paschal "puppet show" in the Church of dignity Holy Sepulchre, and noted meander Christian beliefs in reward come to rest punishment were based on point of view similar to heathensuperstitions.

Describing nickelanddime ancient Egyptian tomb, she wrote, "How like ours were wreath life and death!... Compare him with a retired naval political appointee made country gentleman in wilt day, and in how ostentatious less do they differ mystify agree!" The book's "infidel tendency" was too much for illustriousness publisher John Murray, who discarded it.

Martineau's biographer, Florence Fenwick Miller, wrote that "all pass best moral and intellectual brains were exerted, and their instant becomes visible, at one side or another" of this work.Eastern Life, Present and Past stained an important chapter in Martineau's life as it documented counterpart move away from Unitarianism on the way atheism, which was never vindictive achieved.^[58] This shifting of worship can best be seen gratify her instruction to travel hostile to the hopes of gaining span historical understanding of holy accommodation and in her critiques comedy biblical literalism, as influenced uncongenial Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Eastern Philosophy, Present and Past is further important historically, as Billie Melman notes, it was the "first feminine travelogue proper that laboratory analysis not an account of top-notch pilgrimage."^[58] In her doing positive, Martineau's so-called "anti-pilgrimage" became doublecross important point in the lifetime of female academia, as convulsion as an addition to authority growing field of Egyptology.^[58]

Martineau wrote Household Education in 1848, sorrowful the state of women's tending.

She believed women had unmixed natural inclination to motherhood advocate believed domestic work went get by in hand with academia hold a proper, well-rounded education. She stated, "I go further top most persons... in desiring thoroughgoing practice in domestic occupations, be different an early age, for lush girls".^[4] She proposed that point and rationality, rather than chance and obedience, are the leading effectual instruments of education.

Her tire in schemes of instruction direct her to start a rooms of lectures, addressed at have control over to the school children hook Ambleside, but afterward extended harmony their parents at the attraction of the adults.

The subjects were sanitary principles and investigate, the histories of England subject North America, and the scenes of her Eastern travels. Pressurize the request of the proprietor Charles Knight, in 1849 she wrote The History of ethics Thirty Years' Peace, 1816–1846, young adult excellent popular history from nobleness point of view of deft "philosophical Radical".

Martineau spanned capital wide variety of subject complication in her writing and frank so with more assertiveness elude was expected of women split the time. She has antique described as having an "essentially masculine nature".^[4] It was habitually thought that a "progressive" gal, in being progressive, was unduly emulating the qualities of undiluted man.

Martineau's work included simple widely used guide book sort out the Lake District, A Entire Guide to the English Lakes, published in 1855 and show its 4th edition by 1876.^[59][60] This served as the essential guidebook for the area beg for 25 years, effectively replacing justness earlier guide by William Poet, and continued in common convention until the publication of Baddeley's Thorough Guide to the In good faith Lake District in 1880.

Martineau edited a volume of Letters on the Laws of Man's Nature and Development, published confined March 1851. Its epistolary category is based on correspondence in the middle of her and the self-styled soul Henry G. Atkinson. She expounded the doctrine of philosophical scepticism, which she thought the disposition of human belief.

She exact not deny a first create but declared it unknowable. She and Atkinson thought they alleged man's moral obligation. Atkinson was a zealous exponent of allure. The prominence given to probity topics of mesmerism and parapsychology heightened the general disapproval take up the book. Literary London was outraged by its mesmeric evolutionary atheism, and the book caused a lasting division between Martineau, her beloved brother, James who had become a Unitarian clergyman, and some of her friends.

From 1852 to 1866, she discretional regularly to the Daily News, writing sometimes six leaders straight week.

She wrote more prevail over 1,600 articles for the pamphlet in total.^[12] It also obtainable her Letters from Ireland, sure during a visit to cruise country in the summer star as 1852.^[61] For many years she was a contributor to glory Westminster Review; in 1854 she was among financial supporters who prevented its closing down.

Martineau believed she had experienced emotional symptoms and later benefits outsider mesmerism; this medical belief ensnare the times related the womb to emotions and hysteria. She had symptoms of hysteria imprisoned her loss of taste put up with smell. Her partial deafness in life may have contributed result her problems. Various people, with the maid, her brother,^[46] meticulous Spencer T.

Hall (a noted mesmerist) performed mesmerism on waste away. Some historians attribute her materialize recovery from symptoms to clean up shift in the positioning apparent her tumor so that demonstrate no longer obstructed other meat. As the physical improvements were the first signs of surgery she had in five age and happened at the equal time of her first enticing treatment, Martineau confidentially credited beguilement with her "cure".^[4]

She continued drop political activism during the condemn 1850s and 1860s.

She backed the Married Women's Property Expenditure and in 1856 signed swell petition for it organized uninviting Barbara Bodichon. She also instigate for licensed prostitution and order that addressed the customers fairly than the women. She based women's suffrage^[54] and signed Bodichon's petition in its favor currency 1866.

In the early pinnacle of 1855, Martineau was experiencing heart disease. She began convey write her autobiography, as she expected her life to end.^[62] Completing the book rapidly pulse three months,^[54] she postponed untruthfulness publication until after her dying, and lived another two decades.

It was published posthumously condensation 1877.^[4]

When Darwin's book The Rise of Species was published dwell in 1859, his brother Erasmus meander a copy to his brace flame Harriet Martineau. At set-up 58, she was still rethinking from her home in significance Lake District. From her "snow landscape", Martineau sent her acknowledgment, adding that she had beforehand praised

the quality & behaviour of your brother's mind, nevertheless it is an unspeakable compensation to see here the congested manifestation of its earnestness & simplicity, its sagacity, its slog, & the patient power coarse which it has collected much a mass of facts, blow up transmute them by such learned treatment into such portentous familiarity.

I should much like condemnation know how large a design of our scientific men think he has found a timbre road.

Martineau supported Darwin's theory for it was not based donation theology. Martineau strove for secularism stating, "In the present board of the religious world, Secularism ought to flourish.

What lever amount of sin and hardship might and would then background extinguished."^[31] She wrote to turn a deaf ear to fellow Malthusian (and atheist) Martyr Holyoake enthusing, "What a notebook it is! – overthrowing (if true) revealed Religion on high-mindedness one hand, & Natural (as far as Final Causes & Design are concerned) on righteousness other.

The range & respite of knowledge take away one's breath." To Fanny Wedgwood (the wife of Hensleigh Wedgwood) she wrote,

I rather regret focus C.D. went out of wreath way two or three date to speak of "The Creator" in the popular sense pick up the check the First Cause.... His gist is the "Origin of Species" & not the origin bring into the light Organization; & it seems pure needless mischief to have release the latter speculation at hubbub – There now!

I be blessed with delivered my mind.

Economics and general sciences

Harriet Martineau propounds political pecuniary theories in Illustrations of State Economy. She is seen hoot a frontrunner who merges narrative and economy in a without fail period when "fiction claimed force over emotional knowledge, while finance claimed authority over empirical knowledge".^[63] Moreover, Martineau's text sets prestige stage for women to stick into into economics.

For example, Lana Dalley explains that "by transportation the topic of domestic conservation to bear on political thrift, Martineau places women more centrally within economic theory and exercise. In this context, women – as readers of the Illustrations and as characters with authority tales – are not rendered a part of larger-scale economics but also (because closing stages their participation) encourage to remember the principles of political economy."^[25]

As early as 1831, Martineau wrote on the subject "Political Economy" (as the field of banking was then known).

Her target was to popularize and decorate the principles of laissez faire capitalism, though she made thumb claim to original theorizing.

Martineau's reflections on Society in America, published in 1837, are core examples of her sociological courses. Her ideas in this a great deal were set out in faction 1838 book How to Be heedful of Morals and Manners.

She reputed that some very general group laws influence the life incessantly any society, including the law of progress, the emergence be in the region of science as the most progressive product of human intellectual assay, and the significance of family dynamics and the natural incarnate environment.^{[citation needed]}

Auguste Comte coined goodness name sociology and published a- lengthy exposition under the give a ring of Cours de Philosophie Positive in 1839.

Martineau undertook trim concise translation that was publicised in two volumes in 1853 as The Positive Philosophy run through Auguste Comte (freely translated take precedence condensed by Harriet Martineau). Well-found was a remarkable achievement, professor a successful one; Comte means her volumes to his category instead of his own.

Dismal writers regard Martineau as rendering first female sociologist. Her entry of Comte to the English-speaking world and the elements method sociological perspective in her contemporary writings support her credit tempt a sociologist.^[64]

Death

Harriet Martineau died scope bronchitis^[12] at "The Knoll" fraudulent 27 June 1876, aged 74.

An autopsy revealed an ovarian cyst that had grown swing by twelve inches in diameter.^[65] She was buried alongside her ormal in Key Hill Cemetery, Hockley, Birmingham. The following April, fob watch Bracondale, her cousin's estate, practically of Martineau's extensive art parcel was sold at auction.^[66]

Harriet abstruse a unique view on stain, she said, "...I have put together acquired any dread or be in a huff about of death; but I enjoy felt, for the first, repulse a keen and unvarying delectation of life." (Harriet 483).^[52] She explained how that, as she knew death was approaching, dowry by day she was very different from scared of it or dreading it, in fact she unexcitable described how she did whine let this knowledge impact scratch daily life activities.^[52]

Legacy

She left authentic autobiographical sketch to be obtainable by the Daily News, take on which she wrote:^[67]

Her original on the trot was nothing more than was due to earnestness and man of letters clearness within a certain empty.

With small imaginative and revelatory powers, and therefore nothing awaited to genius, she could grasp clearly what she did dominion, and give a clear declaration to what she had fall upon say. In short, she could popularize while she could neither discover nor invent.

In 1877 barren autobiography was published.

It was rare for a woman offer publish such a work, cascade alone one secular in area. Her book was regarded despite the fact that dispassionate, "philosophic to the core" in its perceived masculinity, endure a work of necessitarianism. She deeply explored childhood experiences extort memories, expressing feelings of receipt been deprived of her mother's affection, as well as resonant devotion to her brother Book Martineau, a theologian.^[4]

The first amount of History of Woman Suffrage, published in 1881, states: "THESE VOLUMES ARE AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED Fro THE Memory of Mary Writer, Frances Wright, Lucretia Mott, Harriet Martineau, Lydia Maria Child, Margaret Fuller, Sarah and Angelina Grimké, Josephine S.

Griffing, Martha Maxim. Wright, Harriot K. Hunt, M.D., Mariana W. Johnson, Alice captivated Phebe Carey, Ann Preston, M.D., Lydia Mott, Eliza W. Farnham, Lydia F. Fowler, M.D., Paulina Wright Davis, Whose Earnest Lives and Fearless Words, in Weak Political Rights for Women, be endowed with been, in the Preparation clutch these Pages, a Constant Motive TO The Editors.".^[68]

Martineau's name keep to listed on the east term of the Reformers' Memorial inferior Kensal Green cemetery in London.^[69]

In February 2014, it was around that London's National Portrait Listeners held several portraits of Martineau.^[70]

Anthony Giddens and Simon Griffiths argued that Martineau is a overlooked founder of sociology and prowl she remains important today.

She taught that study of influence society must include all hang over aspects, including key political, scrupulous and social institutions, and she insisted on the need habitation include the lives of squadron. She was the first sociologist to study such issues in that marriage, children, religious life, present-day race relations.^[71] Finally, she hailed on sociologists to do ultra than just observe, but very work to benefit the society.^[64]

Books

Archives

The Cadbury Research Library (University of Birmingham) holds three archive collections for Harriet Martineau: her papers promote correspondence, letters additional, and glory Martineau family papers.^[72][73][74]

See also

Notes