Lucretia Sewall to husband about dental issues, abolition, Portland, 1838

Contributed by Maine Historical Society

Description

Lucretia Day Sewall, who was living in Portland with her parents and seven-month-old daughter, wrote to her husband, Kiah B. Sewall, who was living in New York, trying to settle debts and study law.

She commented on dental issues, which she had avoided dealing with due to lack of funds. She resolved to go to the dentist and hoped her front teeth could be saved.

Lucretia Sewall (1813-1897) also commented on an illustration on top of a letter her husband had written her. It apparently memorialized Elijah Lovejoy, the Illinois newspaper editor and abolitionist who was killed in November 1837 by a pro-slavery mob.

She wrote, "...I do think they make a great fuss about that Mr. Lovejoy." She suggested the Abolitionists would "keep harping" on the subject of his death. She referred to Christ suggesting that if one is persecuted in one city, he should move on to another.

Sewall wrote that residents of one state had "no right at all to interfere with the laws & government of another state."

She chastised her husband for writing her a letter about Lovejoy, instead of giving news of himself.

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About This Item

  • Title: Lucretia Sewall to husband about dental issues, abolition, Portland, 1838
  • Creator: Lucretia Day Sewall
  • Creation Date: 1838-04-08
  • Subject Date: 1838
  • Location: Portland, Cumberland County, ME
  • Media: Ink on paper
  • Dimensions: 25 cm x 20 cm
  • Local Code: Coll. 105, Box 1/2
  • Collection: Sewall family papers
  • Object Type: Text

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For more information about this item, contact:

Maine Historical Society
485 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-1822 x230
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