Penn State University Press Sentiments of a British-American Woman: Esther Deberdt Reed and the American Revolution

At the time of her death in 1780, British-born Esther DeBerdt Reed―a name few know today―was one of the most politically important women in Revolutionary America. Her treatise “The Sentiments of an American Woman” articulated the aspirations of female patriots, and the Ladies Association of Philadelphia, which she founded, taught generations of women how to translate their political responsibilities into action. DeBerdt Reed’s social connections and political sophistication helped transform her husband, Joseph Reed, from a military leader into the president of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, a position analogous to the modern office of governor. DeBerdt Reed’s life yields remarkable insight into the scope of women’s political influence in an age ruled by the strict social norms structured by religion and motherhood. The story of her courtship, marriage, and political career sheds light both on the private and political lives of women during the Revolution and on how society, religion, and gender interacted as a new nation struggled to build its own identity. Engaging, comprehensive, and built on primary source material that allows DeBerdt Reed’s own voice to shine, Owen Ireland’s expertly researched biography rightly places her in a prominent position in the pantheon of our founders, both female and male. Review "Sentiments of a British-American Woman is an exciting story of how Esther DeBerdt Reed negotiated the challenges of immigration, marriage, and Revolutionary politics. As an eminent political historian, Owen S. Ireland marshals his command of Pennsylvania politics and women's history and, in quoting her substantial correspondence, allows DeBerdt Reed to speak for herself." --Jean Soderlund, author of Lenape Country: Delaware Valley Society Before William Penn "A beautifully written biography of a strong-willed, smart, and forgotten heroine. . . . Adding to the still scant scholarship on women in early America, Ireland's book is enthusiastically endorsed." --B. B. Pfleger, Choice "A love story worthy of William Shakespeare, a snapshot of family life in catastrophic times, and a guide to what went wrong between Britain and its American colonies from 1764 to 1783." --Edith Gelles, The William and Mary Quarterly "Despite Reed's importance, this is the first full biography of this pioneer politician. It is, in Ireland's telling, an engaging tale that mingles the drama and romance expected of a novel with the politics, finance, and suffering of Reed and her husband during the struggle for American independence." --Susan E. Klepp, author of Revolutionary Conceptions: Women, Fertility, and Family Limitation in America, 1760-1820 "Historian Owen Ireland's gracefully written full-fledged biography of Esther DeBerdt Reed, a British-born American patriot, is a welcome and necessary addition to Revolutionary Era history. Based on deep research, Ireland makes a compelling case for understanding the rich but tragically short life of Esther DeBerdt Reed, an important female politician and American founder." --Alison M. Parker, author of Articulating Rights: Nineteenth-Century American Women on Race, Reform, and the State "In a comprehensive and moving study, Owen Ireland brings to light the important but little-known story of Esther DeBerdt Reed, one of the most powerful female figures to emerge during the American Revolution. Ireland chronicles the grand love affair between Reed, a privileged Londoner, and her husband, an American lawyer and patriot, and also explores how Reed became the leading organizer of the Philadelphia Ladies Association, a group that provided critical financial assistance to Washington's troops. Improbable, inspirational, and instructive, Reed's life is a tale of female self-invention and of love played out in the shadows of the Revolutionary crisis." --Rosemarie Zagarri, author of Revolutionary Backlash: Women and Politics in the Early American Republic "Ir