Annah Robinson Watson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Annah Robinson Watson
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| Born | Annah Walker Robinson 1848 |
| Died | 1930 (aged 81–82) |
| Occupation | Writer, poet |
| Nationality | American |
| Notable works | Some Notable Families of America Of Sceptred Race Passion Flowers |
| Spouse | James H. Watson |
| Children | Archibald Robinson Watson James Henry Watson |
Annah Robinson Watson (1848–1930) was an American writer and poet. She was a founding member and president of the Nineteenth Century Club. Annah also collected American folklore, which means old stories, traditions, and beliefs from different groups of people.
Annah's Early Life
Annah Walker Robinson was born in 1848. Her family lived on a farm called "Springfields." This farm was near Louisville, Kentucky. Her grandfather was Hancock Taylor, who was a brother of President Zachariah Taylor.
People described Annah as a "romantic, poetic, imaginative child." After living in the countryside, her family moved to Louisville. Annah received her education there and later in Chicago.
Annah's Books and Poems
After finishing her studies, Annah became a poet. She continued to write and published a poem called "Baby's Mission." This poem became very popular. It was even published in a London magazine called Chatterbox.
Annah also won a contest for the best lullaby. This contest was held by the New York Churchman newspaper. She published many poems and stories under her own name. She also wrote many unsigned articles, like reviews and editorials.
In 1870, Annah married James H. Watson. He was the son of a judge from Mississippi. Annah and her family later moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Her husband worked as a lawyer there.
Annah collected and published stories and superstitions. These were from African-American people. She wrote them down in the way the tellers spoke. Her books include Some Notable Families of America and Of Sceptred Race. She also wrote Passion Flowers.
She gave a presentation called "Comparative Afro-American Folk-Lore." This was at a big meeting in 1893. It was part of the World's Columbian Exposition.
Leading the Nineteenth Century Club
In Memphis, Annah helped start the Nineteenth Century Club. She became its third president. This club was the largest women's club in the South.
At that time, clubs were like schools for women. They helped women learn and grow their minds. This club was connected to the women's suffrage movement. This movement worked for women's right to vote.
The club members showed that their activism was very feminine. They often said it helped women be better in their family lives. Annah warned against focusing too much on activism and forgetting family. But she also saw "a new sense of power and capacity among American women."
In 1895, she published a work with suffragist Josephine Henry. It was called The New Woman of the New South & the Attitude of Southern Women on the Suffrage Question.
Later Works
In 1913, General James Grant Wilson shared Annah's poem. It was called "The Siege of Vicksburg, a Battle of the Bluffs." He shared it at a meeting for the Society of the Army of the Tennessee.
In 1914, Annah published another book. It was titled Golden Deeds on the Field of Honor: Stories of Young American Heroes. This book focused on the Civil War. It mostly told stories from the Southern point of view.
