Sarah T. Bolton
Encyclopedia
Sarah T. Bolton an American
poet and Indiana
's "pioneer poet," is best known for her poem “Paddle Your Own Canoe” (1850). An activist for women’s rights, she worked with Robert Dale Owen
during Indiana's 1850–1851 Constitutional Convention
to include the recognition of women's property rights. Her husband Nathaniel Bolton (25 July 1803–26 November 1858) co-founded Indianapolis’s first newspaper, the Gazette, and was Indiana State Librarian from 1851 to 1854.
, Kentucky
but moved to Indiana
as a child. The family first settled in Jennings County
, and later Madison
.
As a young woman she contributed poems to the Madison newspaper. These poems attracted the paper's editor Nathaniel Bolton, and the two were soon married.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet and Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
's "pioneer poet," is best known for her poem “Paddle Your Own Canoe” (1850). An activist for women’s rights, she worked with Robert Dale Owen
Robert Dale Owen
Robert Dale Owen was a longtime exponent in his adopted United States of the socialist doctrines of his father, Robert Owen, as well as a politician in the Democratic Party.-Biography:...
during Indiana's 1850–1851 Constitutional Convention
Constitution of Indiana
There have been two Constitutions of the State of Indiana. The first constitution was created when the Territory of Indiana sent forty-three delegates to a constitutional convention on June 10, 1816 to establish a constitution for the proposed State of Indiana after the United States Congress had...
to include the recognition of women's property rights. Her husband Nathaniel Bolton (25 July 1803–26 November 1858) co-founded Indianapolis’s first newspaper, the Gazette, and was Indiana State Librarian from 1851 to 1854.
Early life
She was born in NewportNewport, Kentucky
Newport is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is part of the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Metro Area which...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
but moved to Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
as a child. The family first settled in Jennings County
Jennings County, Indiana
Jennings County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 28,525. The county seat is Vernon.-History:...
, and later Madison
Madison, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,004 people, 5,092 households, and 3,085 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,402.9 people per square mile . There were 5,597 housing units at an average density of 654.1 per square mile...
.
As a young woman she contributed poems to the Madison newspaper. These poems attracted the paper's editor Nathaniel Bolton, and the two were soon married.
Career
The couple moved to Indianapolis where Sarah gained a wide reputation as a poet. In 1855 Nathaniel Bolton was appointed consul to Geneva, Switzerland, and Sarah accompanied him to his new post. They remained in Switzerland for three years. During this time Sarah acted as a correspondent for the Cincinnati Commercial. In 1858 they returned to Indianapolis. Nathaniel died a few months after their return.Legacy
Sarah was Indiana's foremost female singer for many years. A complete collection of her poetry was published in Indianapolis in 1886. She died there in 1893. She has been called the "Pioneer Poet Laureate of Indiana". She is commemorated by the Sarah T. Bolton Relief, a 1941 bronze relief in the Indiana Statehouse, IndianapolisIndianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
.
Works
- The Life and Poems of Sarah T. Bolton, F. L. Horton, Indianapolis, 1880. from Archive.org
- Songs Of A Life-Time, The Bowen-Merrill Company, 1892.