Crosshatch: Martha Schofield, the Forgotten Feminist (1839-1916)

If Louisa May Alcott had imagined a fifth March sister, she might have been a lot like activist and educator Martha Schofield (1839- 1916): passionate about equality, determined to break free from the restrictions of nineteenth-century society, yearning equally for both purpose and love. Crosshatch follows Schofield from the Underground Railroad outposts of southeastern Pennsylvania to war-ravaged South Carolina. As an abolitionist, a women’s suffragist, and a white teacher of Black students, she spent a lifetime attempting to develop (however imperfectly) an antiracist feminist vision. Based on Schofield’s letters and diaries, Crosshatch provides unparalleled access to the intimate details of a nineteenth-century woman’s personal life: her love affairs with both women and men, her rocky mental and physical health, her thoughts as she watched wounded soldiers die after the Battle of Gettysburg or stared down Ku Klux Klan members during Reconstruction. More than a biography, Crosshatch uses Schofield’s life to make sense out of our own chaotic times. It is a testament to the power of history to shape our lives and to the urgency of listening to women’s voices.

Christina Larocco received her PhD from the University of Maryland, College Park, and now writes about the history of American women’s activism for all audiences. Her first book, The Women’s Rights Movement since 1945: A Reference Guide, was published by Bloomsbury. Christina lives in Philadelphia, where she is currently working on her third book.