Eliza Farnham
Encyclopedia
Eliza Farnham was a 19th-century American
novelist, feminist, abolitionist, and activist for prison reform
. Her fame as a writer rests upon her work Life in Prairie Land (1846), an account of life on the Illinois prairie near Pekin between 1836 and 1840. She strongly believed in the use of phrenology
to treat prisoners http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=458151. During a brief stint as matron of the women's ward at Sing Sing Prison, she also advocated using music and kindness in the rehabilitation of female prisoners.
She died from consumption
in New York City
at the age of 49.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist, feminist, abolitionist, and activist for prison reform
Prison reform
Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, aiming at a more effective penal system.-History:Prisons have only been used as the primary punishment for criminal acts in the last couple of centuries...
. Her fame as a writer rests upon her work Life in Prairie Land (1846), an account of life on the Illinois prairie near Pekin between 1836 and 1840. She strongly believed in the use of phrenology
Phrenology
Phrenology is a pseudoscience primarily focused on measurements of the human skull, based on the concept that the brain is the organ of the mind, and that certain brain areas have localized, specific functions or modules...
to treat prisoners http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=458151. During a brief stint as matron of the women's ward at Sing Sing Prison, she also advocated using music and kindness in the rehabilitation of female prisoners.
She died from consumption
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at the age of 49.
Writings
- Life in the Prairie Land, 1846 - An account of life on the Illinois prairie near Pekin between 1836 and 1840.
- California, In-doors and Out, 1856 - A chronicle of her experiences and observations on California.
- My Early Days, 1859 - An autobiographical novel.
- Woman and Her Era, 1864 - "Organic, religious, esthetic, and historical" arguments for woman's inherent superiority.
- The Ideal Attained, 1865 - The heroine molds the hero into a worthy mate.
Further reading
- Bakken, G., & Farrington, B. (2003). Encyclopedia of Women in the American West, p. 124. Thousand Oaks: Sage. Link to Google Book Search excerpt
- Stern, Madeleine (1971). Heads and Headlines: The Phrenological Fowlers. University of Oklahoma Press: Norman.