Elizabeth Murray: A Woman's Pursuit of Independence in Eighteenth-Century America

by Patricia Cleary

One of the most compelling figures in colonial America, Elizabeth Murray (1726–1785) was a Scottish immigrant who settled in Boston in her early twenties and took up shopkeeping. For many years, she practiced her trade successfully while marrying three times, once to a much older man who left her an extremely rich widow. This biography chronicles the life of this extraordinary "ordinary" woman who tried to make a place for herself and other women in the world by asserting her own independence inside and outside of the home.

As an importer and retailer of British goods, Murray conducted business with merchants and manufacturers in England and buyers in the American colonies, even traveling to London to select her own stock. Deeply satisfied by her work and the economic freedom it brought her, she acted as mentor to other women, helping them to establish shops of their own. She also protected her autonomy by demanding prenuptial agreements from her second and third husbands that gave her a measure of control over her property that was rare for a married woman of her day.

The spirit of independence that Murray so valued in herself and nurtured in other women was severely tested by the upheavals of the American Revolution. With strong loyalties to both Britain and America, she was torn by the conflict, especially when close relatives chose opposing sides and her third husband abandoned her, leaving her to defend the family estate alone. Her wartime experiences―wild midnight rides, accusations of being a spy, quartering both royal and rebel troops, and brief imprisonment―vividly capture the turmoil of the Revolution and highlight the range of her political commitments.

Genres: Biography

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Easyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a thought-provoking history of a Boston woman in the period prior to the American Revolutionary War. The author presents three narrative/conceptual threads, all well documented, with suppositions clearly noted. The book gives a detailed and clear history of the actions and statements of its protagonist; it describes the legal and social positions of women during this period, particularly as the protagonist's experience exemplifies or differs from them; and it presents the political and social history of the colonies' separation from England in a way which emphasizes the complexity of civic questions of the period. I can't read the book very quickly, because each page gives me new ideas to consider.

[Carol Cleary-Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful to read about a woman of commerce in 18th century America. Fascinating where the twists and turns of life took her and how she managed challenges and opportunities.

[Mary Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled in some history on Wilmington, NC. More on Boston and the changing times. Good info on women in 18th century Boston. Good biography.