Meet Hannah Adams: Scholar and First American Female to Make a Living as an Author

Hannah Adams may not be a familiar name, but it should be: Hannah was the first American female to make her living as an author, and since she was born in 1755, that’s a pretty big freaking deal. When Hannah was growing up, women didn’t always have access to libraries or places to broaden their viewpoints. In fact, she had to be granted special permission to use some libraries that typically didn’t grant memberships to women. Hannah pushed back against societal expectations of women to become a successful author in a time when most women weren’t even getting a higher education.

As a child, Hannah wasn’t able to attend school consistently because of illness. Luckily, she had a thirst for knowledge and an encouraging father. She was taught by boarders staying at her house and was fascinated by books. Early in life she was given Thomas Broughton’s An Historical Dictionary of All Religions from the Creation of the World to This Perfect Time (1742). This book became the inspiration for her religious research and analysis.

In 1784, Hannah published her first book providing a history of the many different religions of the world. Her reasoning for writing this particular history? Although she considered herself a Unitarian Christian, Hannah felt like may of the authors of the past hadn’t been fair to all religions and wanted to provide research and analysis with a more balanced perspective — basically without inserting her own opinion. Her book went on to sell many copies. And thought she made very little money off their publication, she gained acclaim and was able to travel around New England staying as a guest of the local elite. Many women saw her as an example to encourage women to seek higher education.

Hannah spent much of her life researching and publishing books on religion but what her life symbolizes is something much greater. Knowledge is an important part of a full life. Authors like Hannah Adams demonstrate through education great ideas and understanding flourish. Books teach us how to understand the world around us and give us the tools to impact society.

You can even read her memoir to learn more about her amazing life, in her own words.

What author inspires you? Let us know in the comments below!

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Featured Image Credit: Public Domain