when did esther reed die

How did Esther de Berdt Reed die?

Reed's work continues after her death In September 1780, only two weeks after the linen was purchased, Esther De Berdt Reed died unexpectedly in Philadelphia at age thirty-three of an intestinal disease. She was buried at Philadelphia's Second Presbyterian Church. Joseph Reed's sister came to live with him to help raise the couple's five children.

Who was Esther Reed?

Esther Reed was the wife of a Revolutionary War General, and a civic leader who formed the Ladies Philadelphia, provided relief for soldiers, and spoke politically to gain support for the war effort. Esther DeBert Reed was born in London in 1746.

When did Joseph Reed die and how?

In 1784, Joseph Reed visited England for the sake of his health, but he died there on March 5, 1785, in his forty-third year. In 1853, Esther’s grandson William Bradford Reed published her biography, The Life of Esther De Berdt, Afterwards Esther Reed of Pennsylvania.

How did Esther Reed contribute to the war effort?

When the war broke out, Reed joined the war effort as an aide to General Washington, but eventually he became a General in his own right. Esther Reed stayed in Philadelphia and raised the couple’s 6 children, and threw her time and money into helping the soldiers.

Where did Esther de Berdt Reed die?

Philadelphia, PAEsther de Berdt Reed / Place of deathIn September 1780, only two weeks after the linen was purchased, Esther De Berdt Reed died unexpectedly in Philadelphia at age thirty-three of an intestinal disease. She was buried at Philadelphia's Second Presbyterian Church.

Why was Esther Reed important?

Esther de Berdt Reed was the First Lady of Pennsylvania and the wife of Governor Joseph Reed. In 1780, she founded the Ladies Association of Philadelphia, who led local relief efforts and raised funds for the Continental Army. Her work inspired women in other states, like New Jersey.

Has Esther Reed been found?

After being found by the police, Reed was extradited to South Carolina, where she was tried on four felony charges related to fraud and identity theft. Facing up to 47 years in prison, she pled guilty.

How many children did Esther Reed have?

While Joseph was on the war front, Reed remained in Philadelphia, caring for their six children and raising support for the Revolutionary Cause. The money raised by the Ladies' Association purchased linen and cloth, which were then used by volunteers to sew clothes for the Army.

What did Esther de Berdt Reed do in the Revolutionary War?

Esther de Berdt Reed (October 22, 1746 – September 18, 1780) was active in the American Revolutionary War as a civic leader for soldiers' relief, who formed and led the Ladies Association of Philadelphia to provide aid for George Washington's troops during the war.

What did the daughter of liberty do?

The Daughters of Liberty participated in spinning bees, helping to produce homespun cloth for colonists to wear instead of British textiles. Women were also used as the enforcers of these movements because they were the ones responsible for purchasing goods for their households.

What was the Ladies Association of Philadelphia?

This precedent of women's political activism called forth fellow Philadelphia women of status into action. As a result, dozens of women responded to Reed's call, forming the Ladies Association of Philadelphia, a group of upper-class women who led a door-to-door campaign raising money for Washington's Continental Army.

When was Esther DeBert Reed born?

1746Esther DeBert Reed was born in London in 1746. She met her future husband Joseph Reed in 1763, when he traveled to London from the colonies to study law.

Who was Esther Reed?

Esther Reed. public domain image. Esther Reed was the wife of a Revolutionary War General, and a civic leader who formed the Ladies Philadelphia, provided relief for soldiers, and spoke politically to gain support for the war effort. Esther DeBert Reed was born in London in 1746. She met her future husband Joseph Reed in 1763, ...

When did Esther DeBert Reed marry Joseph Reed?

The couple formed a tentative engagement, and Joseph traveled back to America. Five years later, he returned and the couple married in May, 1770. Shortly after their wedding, the Reeds and Esther’s newly widowed mother moved back to the states.

What did Esther Reed and her ladies do with the money?

He suggested the ladies make clothes instead, though he left the final decision to her. Esther Reed and her ladies used the money to purchase linen. They sewed over 2,200 shirts.

How many children did Esther Reed have?

Esther Reed stayed in Philadelphia and raised the couple’s 6 children, and threw her time and money into helping the soldiers. Even though she was British, she told people she worked on behalf of freedom and to prove that women were the political equals of men. She wrote and published a broadside garnering female support and patriotism. She raised support and collected 39 women, the Ladies of Philadelphia, to help her.

How many shirts did Esther Reed make?

Esther Reed and her ladies used the money to purchase linen. They sewed over 2,200 shirts. Women in the other colonies copied her example and began their own organizations for military relief. Unfortunately, she did not live to see the final product of her work or the women she inspired.

Where did Joseph Reed live after his wife's wedding?

Shortly after their wedding, the Reeds and Esther’s newly widowed mother moved back to the states. Joseph Reed established a flourishing law practice in Philadelphia, and the couple dined with some of the most prominent politicians such as the Washingtons and the Adams.

Where did Esther Reed flee?

During an evacuation of Philadelphia, she fled with her six children to Flemington, New Jersey.

Who was Joseph Reed?

Joseph Reed became a prosperous lawyer and a local political leader, and the couple entertained members of the Continental Congress, including George Washington and John Adams. Joseph Reed later served as Washington's secretary and aide-de-camp .

Who was Esther de Berdt?

Esther de Berdt Reed (October 22, 1746 – September 18, 1780) was active in the American Revolutionary War as a civic leader for soldiers' relief, who formed and led the Ladies Association of Philadelphia to provide aid for George Washington 's troops during the war.

How long did Reed and Esther stay together?

Reed returned to America, with only a tenuous engagement to Esther, and they were separated for five years, but kept in touch through correspondence. In 1769, the lovers were re-united when Reed returned on an uncertain visit to England, where everything but Esther’s faithful affection changed.

How did Esther and Reed meet?

In 1763, Esther, aged seventeen, met Reed when he came to London to continue his study of law and they fell in love. Dennis De Berdt, though very fond of Reed, refused to consent for Esther to marry, knowing of Reed’s intention to return to Philadelphia. After completing his studies. Reed returned to America, with only a tenuous engagement to Esther, and they were separated for five years, but kept in touch through correspondence.

Why did Esther Reed start the Ladies Association of Philadelphia?

Reed began the Ladies Association of Philadelphia to raise funds for the Continental army. Esther cleverly made sure that the wives of influential men were asked to be part of the effort. These included Benjamin Franklin’s daughter, Sarah Franklin Bache.

Where did Esther de Berdt Reed grow up?

The De Berdt children grew up near the Houses of Parliament, in Artillery Court, with summers spent in Enfield. Arriving in Philadelphia from London as a young bride, Esther De Berdt Reed had by 1774 become a zealous American Patriot. The Ladies Association she founded made shirts for the soldiers of the Continental Army, ...

Where was Esther De Berdt born?

Esther De Berdt was born October 22, 1746, in London, England, one of two children of Martha Symon De Berdt and Dennis De Berdt, an English businessman who traded with the colonists in Delaware and Massachusetts. The fair-haired, attractive young Esther was a lively talker and a lover of books. The De Berdt children grew up near the Houses ...

Why was Joseph Reed elected to the Continental Congress?

Joseph Reed was elected as a member of the First Continental Congress, a meeting of representatives of the American colonies that met in Philadelphia in the fall of 1774 to decide what to do about America’s ongoing problems with England.

How many children did George Washington Reed have?

Though he took part in many military engagements in the northern and eastern sections of the war, he was never wounded. The Reeds had six children: Martha, Joseph, Esther, Theodosia (who died as an infant of smallpox), Dennis De Berdt, and George Washington Reed.

When did Esther De Berdt marry Joseph Reed?

In 1763, when Esther De Berdt was seventeen, she and Joseph Reed, an American from New Jersey, fell in love. Reed was in England studying law and tending to his family's business interests. Due to the young man's desire to build up his business in America and Dennys De Berdt's opposition to the match (he believed Reed was not worthy of his daughter), the couple did not marry until May 31, 1770.

How many women helped Esther Reed raise money for the cause?

By July 4, 1780, Reed and her thirty-eight female helpers were able to raise thousands of dollars for the cause. Esther Reed wrote to George Washington that the women wished to give each Continental soldier $2 "to be entirely at his own disposal." Reed said: "The money … will be as proof of our [devotion] for the great Cause of America, and of our Esteem and Gratitude for those who so bravely defend it."

How many children did Esther Reed have?

The Reeds had six children; five lived to adulthood. Esther Reed took care of them on her own from July 1775 to January 1777, while her husband served as George Washington 's military aide.

How many shirts did Reed's group sew?

So Reed's group purchased enough cloth to sew more than 2,000 shirts.

Why did Reed write the Sentiments of an American Woman?

Reed helped write "Sentiments of an American Woman," a well-thought-out argument about why women should participate in public affairs. In the essay, the authors cited numerous examples of women throughout history who had done so and called on colonial women to sacrifice any luxuries and contribute their money to the Continental army.

Who was Esther De Berdt?

Esther De Berdt, born in 1746 in London, England, was one of two children of Martha Symon De Berdt and Dennys De Berdt, an English businessman who traded with colonists in Delaware and Massachusetts. The fair-haired, attractive young Esther was a lively talker and a lover of books. Whether or not "Hette" or "Hettie," as she was known to her family, received any formal schooling outside her home is unknown.

Did Philadelphia support Reed's campaign?

Not all the people of Philadelphia supported Reed's efforts. Many Loyalist women found the whole campaign disgusting. Women were not expected to have any concern about financial matters, and the Loyalists thought the women involved in Reed's campaign were very rude. Loyalist Anna Rawle wrote: "Of all absurdities [foolish acts], the ladies going about for money exceeded everything; they were so [annoyingly persistent] that people were obliged to give them something to get rid of them."

Why did Joseph Reed come to London?

Among these visitors, in or about the year 1763, was Joseph Reed, of New Jersey, who had come to London to finish his professional studies ...

How long was Esther De Berdt alive?

Esther De Berdt was born in the city of London, on the 22d of October, 1746, (N. S.,) and died at Philadelphia on the 18th of September, 1780. Her thirty-four years of life were adorned by no adventurous heroism; but were thickly studded with the brighter beauties of feminine endurance, uncomplaining self-sacrifice, ...

Why did George Washington Reed refuse parole?

S. Navy, died a prisoner of war in Jamaica, in 1813. He refused a parole, because unwilling to leave his crew in a pestilential climate; and himself perished.

When did Esther De Berdt marry?

All was ruin and confusion; and on the 31st of May, 1770 , Esther De Berdt became an American wife, the wedding being privately solemnized at St. Luke's Church, in the city of London. In October, the young couple sailed for America, arriving at Philadelphia in November, 1770. Mr.

What was Miss De Berdt's engagement with her lover?

Miss De Berdt's engagement with her American lover was coincident with that dreary period of British history , when a monarch and his ministers were laboring hard to tear from its socket, and cast away for ever, the brightest jewel of the imperial crown - American colonial power. It was the interval when Chatham's voice was powerless to arouse the Nation, and make Parliament pause, when penny-wise politicians, in the happy phrase of the day, "teased America into resistance;" and the varied vexations of stamp acts; and revenue bills, and tea duties, the congenial fruits of poor statesmanship, were the means by which a great catastrophe was hurried onward.

What did Reed's hurried letters show?

Reed's hurried letters show the imminent danger that even women and children ran in those days of confusion. "It is quite uncertain," he writes on 14th September, 1777, "which way the progress of the British army may point.

Who guarded the coffin at the funeral?

The military escort, the company of Washington Greys, whose duty it was to guard the body during the night, presented arms as the coffin went by; and as the procession approached the Hall, the clergy, and all others uncovered themselves, and, if awed by the genius of the place, approached reverently and solemnly.

Who is Esther de Berdt Reed?

The woman behind this organization and author of this broadside was Esther de Berdt Reed. Ironically, Reed was born in London, England. Both of her parents were Protestant refugees from Ypres in Belgium. Her nickname as a child was Hette or Hettie.

Who was Joseph Reed?

Joseph Reed, a well-connected lawyer and local political leader, entertained incoming prominent Revolutionary War figures like George Washington and John Adams in the years leading up to the war.

What did Sarah Franklin Bache do to help the women of Philadelphia?

Other states, such as Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia, created associations modeled after Reed’s handiwork. While Reed was not an American-born citizen, she believed in freedom and the American Revolution. She asserted that women could publish political thought, create essential political associations of aid, and be critical contributors to the Revolutionary War.

Why did the Daughters of Liberty induct Reed into the Daughters of Liberty?

By the end of their effort, the Ladies’ Associated had sewn more than 2,000 shirts for soldiers. Because of her tireless effort , the Daughters of Liberty inducted Reed into their organization. The Daughters of Liberty was an all-female association formed in 1765 to protest the Stamp Act and subsequent Townshend Acts.

When was the Sentiments of an American Woman published?

The Ladies’ Association of Philadelphia launched with the publication of the “Sentiments of an American Woman” on January 10, 1780, three years after the start of the American Revolution.

Who was George Washington's wife?

Bache was the daughter of Benjamin Franklin and assisted with outfitting soldiers in 1780. Washington was the wife of George Washington and was instrumental in caring for soldiers during their Army’s winter encampments. However, not even a year later, Reed passed away from dysentery.

Why did Washington encourage sewing?

Washington, worried about soldiers spending money on liquor, encouraged the sewing of clothing instead. To remind the soldiers at the war front of the “offering of the Ladies,” Reed instructed each volunteer to embroider their names into the clothing.

Who is Esther Reed's husband?

Esther Reed was born in London, England.Her family ( Benjiman Franklin and his wife) called her "hettie" and she loved books very much. At the age of 23 she married Joseph Reed.

What did Esther do to help soldiers?

Esther had an idea to help soldiers in the war. She rounded up a healpful group of women who would soon be doing something that was so helpful and cheerful to soldiers.

Overview

Later life

Though she was English by birth, Reed was exceptionally devoted to the revolutionary cause. During the Revolutionary War, she helped organize the Ladies Association of Philadelphia which raised more than $300,000 in support of the war. At the suggestion of General Washington, the group then used the funds to purchase linen and sew clothing for American troops. Reed had wanted to give the men gold or silver coins, something above and beyond what they would norm…

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