#ColonialAmerica

Wyatt Earp and Josey Marcus--An Affair of Love and Blood

Jul 12
3 min

Wyatt Earp and Josey Marcus--An Affair of Love and Blood

by Heather Frey Blanton The point of my blog is to remind my American sisters (whether they be American by birth or spirit), of our fiery ancestors and, hence, the bloodlines we should honor. The old adage, “Well-behaved women rarely make history” is true. The history-making women of previous generations were passionate, obstinate, tempestuous, and indomitable. Probably they didn’t see themselves as such at the time. They were just doing what came naturally. So let’s talk ab

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A Lady in Defiance

May 31
3 min

Penelope Barker--the Real Spitfire

“Our properties within our own territories [should not] be taxed or regulated by any power on earth but our own.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1774 A well-to-do socialite of the Edenton, NC community, she was not blind to the abuses of the crown. In fact, having been widowed twice in her life, she was acutely aware of the cost of doing business with his Royal Highness King George. The richest woman in North Carolina, Penelope was adept at managing her household affairs and the busine

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Beware The Sting of a Patriot Woman’s Pen

A Lady in Defiance

Mar 17, 2014
2 min

Beware The Sting of a Patriot Woman’s Pen

By Heather Frey Blanton Copyright 2014 Heather Blanton Follow me on https://www.facebook.com/heatherfreyblanton and https://twitter.com/heatherfblanton “If I be waspish, best beware my sting.” ― William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew If I asked you to name American writers who stirred hearts and passions during the American Revolution, most likely you’d mention Thomas Paine or Ben Franklin or Thomas Jefferson. Surely, each man made his invaluable contribution to the

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Queen of the Klondike…A Great Ride While it Lasted

A Lady in Defiance

Jan 27, 2014
3 min

Queen of the Klondike…A Great Ride While it Lasted

One of the few pretty faces in the Klondike. By Heather Frey Blanton Copyright 2014 Heather Blanton Freedom. A true lady in Defiance cries out for it. Refuses to live without it. Pursues it at any cost. Society, propriety—even common sense—won’t stop her from wrapping her slender fingers around it. In the end, she may only have her memories of it, but at least she tasted it. For a time, Kate lived free. Kathleen Eloise Rockwell (1873-1957) came from an unstable home, growing

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Molly Pitcher or Just Mary Hays? A Rose by Any Other Name…

A Lady in Defiance

Jan 23, 2013
2 min

Molly Pitcher or Just Mary Hays? A Rose by Any Other Name…

by Heather Frey Blanton Elementary students around the country often get their first dose of female patriots through the legendary quagmire of Molly Pitcher. Several women have acquired this handle through the centuries, but where does legend end and truth begin? Mary Ludwig Hays Most scholars agree the true identity of “Molly Pitcher” is confused because there were several “camp followers” involved in the Revolutionary War’s Battle of Monmouth. Back then, these ladies tended

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Rachel and Grace Martin — How the Girls With Guns Sent ’em Running!

A Lady in Defiance

Nov 5, 2012
2 min

Rachel and Grace Martin — How the Girls With Guns Sent ’em Running!

The painting would imply the waylay was more exciting than it actually was. When it comes to South Carolina’s Revolutionary War history, the men get all the credit. The most famous patriot of them all is, of course, Frances Marion, known as the Swamp Fox, the inspiration behind Mel Gibson’s movie The Patriot. But as I so often point out, a lot of women during this time didn’t just sit around doing needlepoint while Rome burned, so to speak. On numerous occasions, they took m

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From Lace to Leather–Nannie Alderson's Bittersweet Montana Life

A Lady in Defiance

Oct 22, 2012
3 min

From Lace to Leather–Nannie Alderson's Bittersweet Montana Life

More than a decade ago, I read A Bride Goes West, the memoirs of Wyoming wife and rancher Nannie Alderson. The book haunts me to this day. You’d have to read it to understand, but Nannie was a fire-cracker with a rebel’s heart! Nothing ever kept her down; she accepted life with grace and grit and lived a grand adventure when the West was still wild and wooly. Born to an affluent southern family, Nannie grew up in post-Civil War Virginia. Her home and community were spared muc

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Meet “War Woman” — Why Even the Indians Were Afraid of Her

A Lady in Defiance

Sep 17, 2012
2 min

Meet “War Woman” — Why Even the Indians Were Afraid of Her

As I research patriot and pioneer women, I am constantly confounded and humbled by their grit. Folks, we truly have no idea how feisty these women were! Recently I discovered a story about a woman who had a run-in with six British soldiers and bested them! When I looked into the legend of Nancy Morgan Hart, I laughed out loud. Clearly, Lord Cornwallis was not joking when he said, “We may destroy all the men in America, and we shall still have all we can do to defeat their wom

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Am I Willing in This Cause to Wade Through Blood?

A Lady in Defiance

Feb 27, 2012
3 min

Am I Willing in This Cause to Wade Through Blood?

In 1775, Massachusetts was considered the most rebellious of the colonies (wow, how times have changed). Some of the most feisty patriot women of the Revolution came from this state, but none can actually claim to have captured British spies. Prudence Cummings Wright was married to David Wright and by 1775, the couple had seven children. Yet, somehow, Prudence not only managed to keep her faculties while raising this brood, she burned with a desire to protect liberty. She ha

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Penelope Barker Knew How to Throw One Wicked Little Soiree

A Lady in Defiance

Jan 21, 2012
3 min

Penelope Barker Knew How to Throw One Wicked Little Soiree

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