Maria Mitchell: Portrayed in a New Biography (Abstract)

Volume 36 number 2 (2008)

Barbara L. Welther

Abstract

(Abstract only) Margaret Moore Booker, a longtime resident of Nantucket, has just published the results of her extensive research in many archives for additional material about “America’s first woman astronomer.” The result is a very illuminating and well-written portrait of Mitchell as an innovative force in women’s education and an inspiring leader in the movement for women’s rights. This paper will review some of the well-known details of Mitchell’s life and show how Booker’s work sheds new light on her subject’s persona.