 | A Romance of the Republic A Romance of the Republic , published in 1867, was Lydia Maria Child's fourth novel and the capstone of her remarkable literary career. Written shortly after the Civil War, it offered a progressive alternative to Uncle Tom's Cabin . Writer, magazine publisher and outspoken abolititionist, Child defied the norms of gender and class decorum in this novel by promoting interracial marriage as a way blacks and whites could come to view each other with sympathy and understanding. In constructing the tale of fair-skinned Rosa and Flora Royal--daughters of a slaveowner whose mother was also the daughter of a slaveowner--Child consciously attempted to counter two popular claims: that racial intermarriage was "unnatural" and that slavery was a benevolent institution. But Child's target was not merely racism. Her characters are forced both to reconsider their attitudes toward "white" and "black" and to question the very foundation of the patriarchal society in which they live. Lydia Maria Child was born in Medford, Massachusetts on February 11, 1802. She was educated at home, at a local dame school, and at a nearby women's seminary. Her first novel, Hobomok, was published in 1824. Her other novels include The Rebels or Boston before the Revolution, The First Settlers, Philothea, and Romance of the Republic. She wrote advice books including The Frugal Housewife, The Mother's Book, The Little Girl's Own Book, and The Freedmen's Book. She was an abolitionist, women's rights activist, and Indian rights advocate. She wrote books about these causes including An Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans, Anti-Slavery Catechism, and An Appeal for the Indians. She was also the author of Over the River and Through the Wood (A Boy's Thanksgiving Day). She died on October 20, 1880. (Bowker Author Biography) |
