Circumstances Are Destiny: An Antebellum Woman's Struggle to Define Sphere (Civil War in the North)

Celestia Rice Colby, born in Ohio in 1827, had lifestyle options that were relatively straightforward for the typical white female child born in the first half of the nineteenth century: she married in 1848, had five children, spent much of her life working as a dairy farmer and housewife, and died in 1900. Her rich legacy, however, extended beyond her children and grandchildren and survived in the form of detailed and reflective diaries and writings. Her private and published writings show that despite the appearances of the quintessential normal life, Colby struggled to reconcile her personal hopes and ambitions with the expectations and obligations placed on her by society. Author Tina Stewart Brakebill has woven original research with secondary material to form the fabric of Colby's life - from her days as the daughter of an Ohio dairy farmer to her relationship with her daughter, a pioneering university professor. What emerges is a multifaceted picture of one woman's lifelong struggle to establish her own identity within the confines of society's proscriptions. Colby's life story offers valuable insights that move beyond conventional generalizations regarding women of the past and that continue to affect the study of women today. A 19th-century midwestern woman's reflections on her role in society Celestia Rice Colby, born in Ohio in 1827, had lifestyle options that were relatively straightforward for the typical white female child born in the first half of the nineteenth century: she married in 1848, had five children, spent much of her life working as a dairy farmer and housewife, and died in 1900. Her rich legacy, however, extended beyond her children and grandchildren and survived in the form of detailed and reflective diaries and writings. Her private and published writings show that despite the appearances of the quintessential normal life, Colby struggled to reconcile her personal hopes and ambitions with the expectations and obligations placed on her by society. Author Tina Stewart Brakebill has woven original research with secondary material to form the fabric of Colby's life--from her days as the daughter of an Ohio dairy farmer to her relationship with her daughter, a pioneering university professor. What emerges is a multifaceted picture of one woman's lifelong struggle to establish her own identity within the confines of society's proscriptions. Colby's life story offers valuable insights that move beyond conventional generalizations regarding women of the past and that continue to affect the study of women today. 1827-1848 : "The impress of the Connecticut character" 1848-1853 : "It is my first desire to be a blessing to my husband and train up my child in the way of virtue and religion" 1853-1857 : "Her influence at home may sway the destinies of the world" October 1857-January 1858 : "I sometimes think my whole being is changed" December 1857-May 1858 : "Yet I live a life they know not of" June 1858-December 1858 : "Eleven years ago to day since I took upon myself the cares of a housekeeper" November 1858-November 1859 : "I wish for a 'bright little isle' to be peopled with the good, the loving, the gifted" November 1859-February 1861 : "I am accomplishing nothing" February 1861-November 1861 : "Dark and fearful must be the struggle" September 1861-December 1862 : "He is the true patriot whose patriotism is only another term for the love of truth, justice and humanity" September 1862-April 1865 : "And we women can only wait, and wait" February 1865-July 1900 : "If I only could leave behind all the darkness and forget the past". Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction 12 Part I. An Expected Life 22 1. 1827–1848 24 2. 1848–1853 40 3. 1853–1857 56 Part II. The Battle to Change Expectations 74 4. October 1857–January 1858 76 5. December 1857–May 1858 97 6. June 1858–December 1858 115 7. November 1858–November 1859 132 8. November 1859–February 1861 150 9. February 1861–November 1861 168 10. September 1861–December 1862 185 Part III. Expectations Stagnate: Acceptance or Defeat? 202 11. September 1862–April 1865 204 12. February 1865–July 1900 220 Conclusion 241 Abbreviations 245 Notes 246 Bibliography 265 Index 272 "Author Tina Stewart Brakebill has woven original research with secondary material to form the fabric of Colby's life - from her days as the daughter of an Ohio dairy farmer to her relationship with her daughter, a pioneering university professor. What emerges is a multifaceted picture of one woman's lifelong struggle to establish her own identity within the confines of society's proscriptions. Colby's life story offers insights that move beyond conventional generalizations regarding women of the past and that continue to affect the study of women today."--Jacket Celestia Rice Colby, born in Ohio in 1827, had lifestyle options that were relatively straightforward for the typical white female child born in the first half of the nineteenth century. This work describes Colby's life, from her days as the daughter of an Ohio dairy farmer to her relationship with her daughter.