May 23, 1810 – July 19, 1850

  Margaret Fuller was the first full-time American female book reviewer in journalism.  Her book Woman in the Nineteenth Century is considered the first major feminist work in the United States.  She was the first editor of transcendentalist journal The Dial in  She was the first woman allowed to use the library at Harvard. Key Events

  Margaret Fuller was an advocate of women’s rights, women’s education and their right to employment.  She encouraged reforms including the prison reform and the emancipation of slaves.  By her 30s, she earned reputation as the best-read person in New England, male or female.  She was sent to Europe for the Tribune as its first female correspondent. Progressive Era

  Many advocates for women’s rights/feminism, such as Susan B. Anthony, cite her as a source of inspiration.  Some contemporaries were not supportive, saying Fuller was a talker rather than an activist.  Her importance faded shortly after her death. Interesting Facts

  Margaret Fuller was a feminist and believed in providing education to women.  She believed women could push for equal political rights as well.  Some of her major works were Summer on the Lakes (1844), Woman in the Nineteenth Century (1845), and Papers on Literature and Art (1846). Major Interests/Works/Accomplishments

  “If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it.”  “There is no wholly masculine man, no purely feminine woman.” Quotes

  Margaret Fuller was one of the most influential and innovative people of the 19th century. She was the first American to write a book on women's equality, the first female foreign war correspondent and first to serve under combat conditions, and the first female literary critic whose work was important enough to set the literary standards of her time.  While her life was cut short, her impact both during her lifetime and today, makes her an undeniably important woman. She was an outspoken supporter of women's rights, education, prison reform, the abolition of slavery, and a model for female leadership and pioneering. Impact on Society

 1.What is Margaret Fuller most famous for writing? 2.What debate did she begin? 3.What did she ask from women? 4.What was her greatest belief? 5.What was her greatest accomplishment by the time she was in her 30s? Quiz Questions

   legacy.tamu.edu/authors/fuller/ legacy.tamu.edu/authors/fuller/   Cited Sources