Early Life
Margaret Fuller was an inspiring writer, teacher, and journalist whose hard work allowed for her many accomplishments. She was born Sarah Margaret Fuller on May 23, 1810 in Cambridgeport, Massachusetts, to Timothy and Margaret Crane Fuller. Her father, disappointed that Margaret was not a boy, provided her with a rigorous, male-oriented education in subjects such as Latin, Greek, history, and literature.1 This education helped her excel academically but also placed significant pressure on her. As the oldest of seven children, she also learned household skills like sewing from her mother. In 1817, her father was elected as a representative to the United States Congress, shaping her early life.2 Margaret began her formal education in 1819 at the Port School in Cambridgeport, attended the school for Young Ladies in Groton in 1824, and published her first work in the North American Review in 1834.3 However, her father’s death in 1835 forced her to assume responsibility for her family, caring for her siblings and managing the household.4
In her following years, Fuller’s career took shape as she looked for financial security and intellectual fulfillment. She taught Latin and French at Mr. Alcott’s school in Boston in 1836 before moving to Providence, Rhode Island, in 1837 to accept a better-paying teaching position. This meant Margaret had to leave Boston and her friends behind to take on this role. When she returned to Cambridgeport in 1839, she began leading conversational classes for Boston women, which provided both financial support and an opportunity to inspire intellectual and social growth.5 These sessions encouraged women to express themselves freely on topics not typically discussed among women.6 Fuller’s personal experiences of overcoming societal pressures, taking on family responsibilities, and pursuing intellectual growth laid the foundation for her later activism and literary achievements. Her time in Europe, along with her writings, career endeavors, and advocacy further established her as a figure in the fight for women's rights.
1 Szymkowska-Bartyzel, Jolanta. "Successful Against All Odds? -- Margaret Fuller: The Self-Made Woman in the Nineteenth Century." Ad Americam 19 (January 2018): 146-147. doi:10.12797/AdAmericam.19.2018.19.10.
2 Szymkowska-Bartyzel. "Successful Against All Odds?.": 146-147
3 Szymkowska-Bartyzel. "Successful Against All Odds?.": 146-147
4 Egan, Lavinia Hartwell. "Margaret Fuller—Feminist and Literateur." Equal Rights, vol. 1, no. 32 (September 22, 1923). District of Columbia: National Woman's Party, 1923: 7-8.
5 Egan. "Margaret Fuller—Feminist and Literateur.": 7-8
6 Szymkowska-Bartyzel. "Successful Against All Odds?": 148
By Lola Boyer
