Lydia Maria Child's prolific literary career spanned five decades, during which she produced numerous short stories, articles, novels and non-fiction books. At times her political activism damaged both her career and her personal reputation. However, despite unrelenting financial pressures, she remained a committed advocate in a range of causes, including the abolition of slavery and the promotion of native-Americans' and women's rights.
Lydia Francis was born on 11 February 1802 in Medford, Massachusetts. She was the youngest of the five surviving children of Convers Francis, a prosperous baker, and Susannah Rand Francis. Child was formally educated at local schools, concluding with a year at Miss Swan's Female Academy when she was aged twelve. In 1814 her mother died of tuberculosis. By this time, her father's business was suffering from the economic instability caused by the...
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Citation: Deshpande, Tara. "Lydia Maria Child". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 March 2007 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=857, accessed 09 June 2026.]
