Anne Bradstreet
First published poet in England's North American colonies.
Anne Bradstreet (born Anne Dudley on March 8, 1612, died September 16, 1672) was a leading early English poet in North America and the first writer from England’s North American colonies to see her work in print. She is recognized as the first Puritan author in American literature, known for a substantial body of poetry and for personal writings that came out after her death. Raised in a well-off Puritan household in Northampton, England, she was a learned scholar, deeply influenced by the poet Du Bartas. She wed at sixteen, and soon after, her parents and her own young family emigrated during the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630. Despite raising eight children and being the wife and daughter of New England public officials, she made time to write poetry.
Her early poems are less notable, but her later work developed a distinctive style focused on her life as a mother, her struggles with hardship, and her Puritan faith. Initially seen mainly as historically interesting, she gained lasting fame in the 20th century. Her first collection, *The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America*, was popular in both America and England.
Bradstreet has been described as an educated Englishwoman, a loving wife and devoted mother, “Empress Consort of Massachusetts,” a questioning Puritan, and a sensitive poet. Her first book, *The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America*, came out in 1650 and was well received on both sides of the Atlantic.
She was born in Northampton, England, to Thomas Dudley, steward to the Earl of Lincoln, and Dorothy Yorke. Her family’s status gave her a cultured upbringing and an unusually thorough education for a woman of her time, including tutoring in history, languages, and literature. At sixteen, she married Simon Bradstreet; both her father and husband later served as governors of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Anne, Simon, and her parents sailed to America on the *Arbella* as part of the Winthrop Fleet of Puritan emigrants in 1630. She first set foot in the Americas on June 14, 1630, at what is now Salem, Massachusetts, alongside Simon, her parents, and other voyagers in the Puritan migration to New England. Upon arrival, they found many colonists had died from illness or starvation the previous winter. Her family shared a one-room house with scant furniture or supplies.
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Anne Dudley
- Birth Date
- 1612-03-08
- Death Date
- 1672-09-16
- Death Place
- North Andover, Massachusetts
- Occupation
- poet
- Language
- English
- Children
- 8: Samuel, Dorothy, Sarah, Simon, Hannah, Mercy, Dudley, John.
- Spouse
- Simon Bradstreet · 1628
- Relatives
- John Woodbridge / (brother-in-law)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Anne Bradstreet was born in Northampton, England in 1612, the daughter of Thomas Dudley, a steward of the Earl of Lincoln, and Dorothy Yorke. Due to her family's position, she grew up in cultured circumstances and was a well-educated woman for her time, being tutored in history, several languages, and literature. At the age of sixteen she married Simon Bradstreet. Both Anne's father and husband were later to serve as governors of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Anne and Simon, along with Anne's parents, emigrated to America aboard the Arbella as part of the Winthrop Fleet of Puritan emigrants in 1630. She arrived in the Americas on June 14, 1630, landing at Salem, Massachusetts.
Reader's Guide
Anne Bradstreet's significance lies in her role as the first published poet in England's North American colonies and the first Puritan figure in American literature. Her early works are less distinctive, but her later writings developed into a unique style of poetry that centers on her role as a mother, her struggles with the sufferings of life, and her Puritan faith. While her works were initially considered primarily of historical significance, she reached posthumous acclaim in the 20th century. Her first collection, The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, was widely read in America and England. Long considered primarily of historical interest, she won critical acceptance in the 20th century as a writer of enduring verse, particularly for her sequence of religious poems 'Contemplations', which was written for her family and not published until the mid-19th century. Nearly a century later, Martha Wadsworth Brewster, a notable 18th-century American poet and writer, in her principal work, Poems on Diverse Subjects, was influenced and pays homage to Bradstreet's verse. Despite the traditional attitude toward women of the time, she clearly valued knowledge and intellect; she was a free thinker and some consider her an early feminist; unlike the more radical Anne Hutchinson, however, Bradstreet's feminism does not reflect heterodox, antinomian views. A quotation from Bradstreet can be found on a plaque at the Bradstreet Gate in Harvard Yard: 'I came into this Country, where I'.
Did You Know?
- Anne Bradstreet was the first writer in England's North American colonies to be published.
- She was the mother of eight children and her father and husband both served as governors of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
- The Bradstreet Gate at Harvard University was dedicated in her memory in October 1997.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Anne Bradstreet?
Anne Bradstreet was an English-born poet who became the first woman from England's North American colonies to have her poetry published. She is widely regarded as the first Puritan author in American literary history.
What is Anne Bradstreet known for?
She is celebrated as the first published poet in England's North American colonies and for producing a substantial body of verse during the 1640s and 1650s. Her work reflects deep Puritan faith alongside personal emotion, and she was notably influenced by the French poet Du Bartas.
When and where was Anne Bradstreet born?
She was born Anne Dudley on March 8, 1612, in Northampton, England, into a well-off Puritan family. She was a learned scholar from a young age before emigrating to the American colonies with her parents and young family.
Why is Anne Bradstreet important to fans of women writers?
She broke new ground as the first Englishwoman in the colonies to see her work in print, paving the way for future female voices in American letters. Her combination of scholarly rigor, religious devotion, and personal feeling made her a foundational figure for anyone tracing the history of women in poetry.
More in Women Poets And Journalists 1-17
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced