Suffer and Grow Strong: The Life of Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas, 1834-1907

by Carolyn Newton Curry

Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas was an intelligent, spirited woman born in 1834 to one of the wealthiest families in Georgia. At the age of fourteen she began and kept a diary for forty-one years. These diaries of her life before, during, and after the Civil War filled thirteen hand-written volumes with 450,000 words. In the early years she described her life of leisure and recorded the books she read. Her father recognized her love of learning and sent her to the first college for women in America, Wesleyan Female College in Macon, Georgia. After college graduation in 1851, she was a gay young girl of fashion who met and married her Princeton-educated husband in 1852. However, with the coming of the Civil War and its aftermath, her life changed forever. Thomas experienced loss of wealth, bankruptcy, the death of loved ones, serious illness, and devastating family strife. She gave birth to ten children and saw four of them die. But, through it all, she kept pouring thoughts into her diary. Thomas examined what was happening, asked questions, and strived to find ways to improve her family's dire economic straits. She started a school in her home and later ran a boarding house out of the old family mansion. In 1893, Thomas left Augusta and moved to Atlanta where she became active in many women's organizations. She found comfort in her work with the Women's Christian Temperance Union and the Suffrage Movement. She began producing articles for newspapers, keeping them in scrapbooks that tell the story of her life after she quit keeping a diary. In 1899 she was elected president of the Georgia Woman Suffrage Association. Because of her own losses, Thomas was sensitive to the well-being of other women. As she said, she had suffered and grown strong. Her life is an amazing story of survival and transformation that speaks to women in our own time.

322 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2014

Reviews

[Diane McPhail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly readable biography of a woman who went from classic Southern Belle through loss of everything. Resiliant, she begins a school and by the beginning of the 20th Century, becomes a major voice for Women's Suffrage. I am a co-hostess for a book signing next week for Carolyn Curry.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous! Always loved stories of those who lived before and after momentous events and times of great change. From pre war Southern Belle, to college student, to wife and mother, to suffragette; from peace to Civil War to the brewing of WWI. What changes she saw, suffered, and survived!

Pluses about my home state, about a strong, intelligent, educated, independent woman, written by a Scottie, and reviewed by a Scottie who was my classmate and is my friend.....

[Smalltownreader]

The life and times of this woman are enough to make anyone squirm. To come so far after the devastation of the Civil War in Augusta, GA and her husband's squandering of her personal fortune after business failure after business failure. She becomes one of the most vocal of all southern women on the cause of womens suffrage.

[EJ Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relying extensively upon her own diary entries, this biography of E. Gertrude Clanton Thomas charts the tumultuous life of a Southern belle from the halcyon days of the Antebellum South through the trials of the War Between the States to the hardships of Reconstruction and finally to the hope of the New South. Dr. Carolyn Curry has, on the whole, done an excellent job highlighting the most essential components of Gertrude diary while also providing key historical context, although Curry's own editorializing is, at times, abrasive.

Gertrude kept a diary for about two thirds of her life, and so Curry had an excellent foundation upon which to build her book. That being said, Gertrude was occasionally spotty in her record keeping and of course she did not explicitly detail every component of her writing. Curry steps in masterfully to provide historical background and cultural context, as well as the biographies of the people, both historical and personal, who feature in Gertrude's writing.

At times, Curry is perhaps too liberal in interpreting Gertrude's opinions and there is a strong push to make entries contribute to Curry's larger academic argument that Gertrude's life was slowly building to self-fulfillment as a self-realized independent woman and suffragette. Curry is also rather fond of drawing conclusions for her readers, which can be a little stifling at times. One wishes at times that Curry had allowed Gertrude to "speak" more for herself, but of course one always has recourse to reading the original journal in full, which has fortunately been published.

I would highly recommend Suffer and Grow Strong to anyone interested in 19th century women's history. As Gertrude was a member of the Southern slave holding aristocracy, the wife of a Confederate veterans, a supporter of the "Lost Cause," an advocate for universal education, and a suffragette, her fascinating life touches on a number of subjects. Those interested in reading the original diary are encouraged to read The Secret Eye: The Journal of Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas,1848-1889, edited by Virginia Burr.

[Abigail Westbrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn’t quite was I expected but it turned out to be interesting anyway. It’s the life of a southern woman who was in her 20s at the time of the Civil War, using excerpts from her diary to show what she went through in the aftermath of the war. She went on to be quite active in the woman’s suffrage movement despite many challenges in her personal life. It’s not really written from a Christian perspective but does include a few references to Gertrude’s spiritual life. I enjoyed reading about someone who never was hugely famous and it made me think more about what my life might have been like had I lived in those times.

[Kate Zielinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very interesting reading about the biography of Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas, a member of one of Georgia's most elite families before the Civil War. She led a very cushioned life before the war, married young, and watched her life turn upside down during the war but ended up finding her voice and activism later on in life. Interesting that her husband stayed in the past always wearing his uniform while she charged onward and looked to the future. I would love to actually read her diaries she kept for 41 years to see her exact perspective on life as she knew it.

[Virginia “Ginny” · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an account of a 19th century American woman and an American family from the south before and after the Civil War.
I’m grateful that the author can document her life story . We don’t often have accounts of women’s struggles during this time.
I believe that until you live in a war ravaged community and see the landscape of your life reduced to nothing, you don’t understand .
I am only two generations removed from my family who survived and persevered during the Civil War only
To lose family members and property to the ravages of war right here on American soil.

[Margo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biography of a Southern women's struggles as well as successes and changing perspectives before and after the Civil War. Following Gertrude's rare diaries and placing all in the context of the time allows for an enlightened read. Also great perspective for following the development of women's movements in the South prior to the 1900s.

[Ellen Ulken · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author referenced Gertrude's own scrapbooks and diaries in reconstructing her life and stories. Raised in a wealthy planter's family, Gertrude was educated in Macon at the first female college for women in America. When she and her family lost their properties after the Civil War, she suffered from humiliation and poverty. She knew that the slaves deserved their freedom, and was able to redirect her energy and efforts as a "public woman."She held offices in the Women's Christian Temperance Union and in the Women's Suffrage movement. She gave speeches to large crowds and wrote articles on women's issues for publication. She remained loyal to her husband, whose lack of business acumen contributed to their financial losses after the war, and she raised six children, having lost four to death during childhood. Curry has written a remarkable biography of a remarkable woman.

[Kathy Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent story

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

No doubt about it, this is a story that needed to be told. Gertrude Thomas was an important figure in women's history. She was born into a life of luxury, but by the end of her life she had lost it all. Her father, Turner Clanton, was one of the wealthiest men in Georgia. When he died, in 1864, he left Gertrude 23 slaves. The Civil War ensued, and, of course, this inheritance was worthless once the slaves were emancipated. Other properties her father left her were later ravaged by her husband's poor financial management skills. Throughout her life, Gertrude was a champion for the education and equal rights of women. Because her father had the foresight to educate her at one of the first colleges for women, she was able to persuasively articulate her views and influence others. It was an inspiring story, one that every girl should know. Many thanks to the author for taking on the task of sorting through 60 years worth of personal diaries, plus countless court records and newspaper articles. As inspiring a story as it is, however, I found it difficult to read. It was quite dry most of the time, heavily laden with facts and figures. So much like the history books we were all required to read. I would have enjoyed it so much more had it been written with enough license to bring the characters into clearer focus as human beings.

[Nina Norstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s apparent this author spent a great deal of time capturing the life of Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas. Ella Gertrude was an interesting woman with her many accomplishments. And this story is evidence of her journey.

However, being from the north, I would have loved to read more descriptive details about her husband/children/friends (particularly) and of the various scenes . . . as it related to southern lifestyle, or even developing some actions of the Civil War. Perhaps, this story could have really put me inside the journey, if those depictions took place. Surely, there was a lot to describe in that Gertrude moved about - relocating to other parts of the southern area.

Anyway, it makes for a great educational read. Kudos, to the author!

[Laura Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This an excellent portrait of a fascinating Southern woman. It's very well-written in a way to appeal to both scholars and those without a background in history. I think it will be an excellent resource for historians studying the Antebellum and Reconstruction-era South, but it's also very accessible to other readers interested in Southern history. I majored in history at the author's alma mater, Agnes Scott College, but don't work in the field of history. I found that this is a scholarly book that doesn't get bogged down in historical theory or jargon.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting lady! She certainly persevered through many tough situations and always seemed ready to work for good! I could see this as a mini-series on tv or as a movie. Historical fiction from her viewpoint could be interesting as well! Thanks to Carolyn Curry for sharing her research on this inspiring woman!!!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-researched biography of a Southern belle who was born into one of the wealthiest families in Georgia, and then after the civil war became almost penniless. A true testament to human resiliency, Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas became a pioneer spokesperson for female equality and the right of women to vote.
Truly inspirational.