Hannah Adams: Medfield’s Most Famous Female

Hannah Adams is Medfield’s best known historian and she is nationally known as the first American female whose learning and literary abilities were recognized.

When Hannah Adams entered the field of literature in 1784, only four American women; Anne Bradstreet, Phillis Wheatley, Mercy Warren and Mary Rowlandson, had seen their literary efforts in print and for them literature was really just a hobby. Hannah Adams was the first American woman to look upon it as a profession, as a means of earning her living.

She was born here in Medfield on Oct. 2, 1755 of Medfield stock. Her grandfather, Thomas Mason, built the house in which Hannah was born, which is still standing, cared for and preserved on 49 Elm St., near the Wheelock School and in front of the soccer fields. As a child, Hannah was frail and very timid. To accompany her sister to school was a real hardship. Finally, allowed to stay at home, she was taught by her father. Hannah enjoyed the lessons because her father did not confine her to just the Bible, as was the custom in school at that time, but instead let her choose at will from books in his small library.

At age 16, the family’s finances were so depleted that her father began boarding some of the young men who were preparing for Harvard under the instruction of Rev. Dr. Prentiss, minister of the First Parish Church.  Touched by Hannah’s eagerness for knowledge, the future Harvard students taught her Greek, Latin, geography and logic. Strange studies for a girl, thought the local Medfield villagers but this Adams' child was unique.

Hannah developed a small circle of female friends, who were drawn together from Medfield and the surrounding towns by similarity of views. Most of them wrote verses, which were read and admired by those in the circle. Their mutual love of literature, want of fortune and indifference to the society of those whose minds were uncultivated, served to cement a union between them that remained throughout their lives. This group has been called the First Woman’s Club of which we have any record, an honor to Medfield that has often been over looked. Out of this first woman’s club arose one who became the pioneer of female authorship in America.

Hannah was introduced to the book “Historical Dictionary of all Religions From the Creation of the World to the Present Time” which greatly interested her. She was amazed and distressed at the lack of tolerance by which some of the religions were treated. She began to read everything she could find on the subject and from a side job knitting and sewing, she earned enough money to buy paper to make a blank notebook.

It is said some of her happiest hours were spent writing in this notebook about the various religious sects. With encouragement from Rev. Prentiss, who also lent her many books, she published her works on religion in 1784. She was brave enough to allow her name to appear on the title page. Earning money for the necessary paper to write her next book, she contracted with a printer to publish a revised edition under the title “A View of Religion.”

She dedicated it to her distant cousin, John Adams, who was then Vice President of the United States. The volume sold well. She earned more money than she had ever seen before and was able to pay off her debts.

Her next writings were a “Summary History of New England” and “Abridgement” which she hoped would be sold in the schools but which unfortunately she was plagiarized by Rev. Jedediah Morse.  After a long-drawn out court fight, in which she never gave in, she lost, mainly because she was a female challenging a male minister. Through this struggle, however, her reputation rose and that of Rev. Jedediah Morse was all but destroyed. Through her efforts some of the first copy right laws in our nation were passed.

She continued her writings with the “Truth and Excellence of the Christian Religion”, followed by the “History of the Jews.” Her “Letters on the Gospels” in 1824 was written with the hope that she could make the New Testament interesting to the younger generation. Her friends finally persuaded her to write her memoirs and leave some record of her literary struggles. She did leave a brief sketch which was published after her death in 1831.

She was simple in her manners and of rare modesty. A voyage from Boston to Nahant about 10 miles, was her only journey by water, and a trip to Providence, R.I. her farthest by land. Nonetheless, she was a popular guest in New England society, and once stayed for two weeks at the house of her distant cousin, President John Adams, where she spent most of her time reading in his impressive library.  During the closing years of her life she enjoyed an annuity provided by friends in Boston, and at her death, was given the honor to be buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge.