Annie Chambers Ketchum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Annie Chambers Ketchum
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Annie Chambers Bradford Ketchum
Sister Amabilis |
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| Born | Annelizah Chambers November 8, 1824 near Georgetown, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | January 27, 1904 (aged 79) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | educator, lecturer, writer, Capitular Tertiary of St. Dominic |
| Language | English |
| Subject | botany, botanical illustration, education, literature, elocution, poetry |
| Notable works | Botany for Academies and Colleges: Consisting of Plant Development and Structure from Seaweed to Clematis |
| Spouse |
William Bradford
(m. 1844)Leonidas Ketchum
(m. 1858) |
| Children | 2 children |
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Annie Chambers Ketchum (also known as Sister Amabilis) was an important American educator, speaker, and writer. She was born on November 8, 1824, and passed away on January 27, 1904. She was a member of the New York Academy of Sciences. Later in her life, she joined a religious group called the Third Order of St. Dominic.
Annie Ketchum was the principal of a High School for Girls in Memphis, Tennessee. There, she also started her own school for girls. She later opened a special school for advanced students in Georgetown, Kentucky. She started writing for the public after the American Civil War. Her first books quickly showed how talented she was. She published two books of poems and two novels.
Annie Ketchum was the first editor of The Lotus, a monthly magazine. She also wrote a textbook called Botany for Academies and Colleges. This book taught about plants, from seaweed to clematis flowers. She was well-known for her poems. Her poem "Semper Fidelis," which appeared in Harper's Magazine, was considered one of the best American poems of its time.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Annelizah Chambers, who everyone called "Annie," was born on November 8, 1824. Her birthplace was near Georgetown, Kentucky, in Scott County, Kentucky. She was the youngest daughter of Violetta Bradford and Major Benjamin Stuart Chambers. Her father was a lawyer.
Her grandfather, Judge Fielding Bradford, helped start the Kentucky Gazette newspaper in 1787. This was the first newspaper printed west of the Allegheny Mountains. Annie grew up at a place called Acacia Grove. Even as a young child, she loved reading books that other kids might find boring.
Annie received an excellent education. She was very good at classic subjects, literature, science, and math. She also did very well in modern languages, music, and drawing. She knew Greek, Latin, and French well, and had some knowledge of Italian and German. She was taught at home before going to Georgetown Female College, where she earned her master's degree.
Starting Her Career
After her father passed away, Annie married her cousin, William Bradford, on December 22, 1844. A few years later, she became a widow and had to raise her two children by herself.
In 1855, she became the principal of the High School for Girls in Memphis, Tennessee. She worked with the Young Men's High School to create a class where both boys and girls could learn public speaking. She even met Charlotte Cushman, a famous actress, who gave her lessons in speaking. During school breaks, Annie gave popular talks. The money she earned from these talks helped buy equipment for the girls' school, for subjects like chemistry, physics, and astronomy.
In 1858, she married Leonidas Ketchum. From 1859 to 1861, she was the first editor of The Lotus, a monthly magazine. The magazine stopped publishing in 1861 because of the American Civil War.
During the Civil War
When the American Civil War began, her husband joined the army of the Southern states. He was wounded in a big battle and sadly passed away in 1863. When the city of Memphis was taken by the Northern army, a British group visited. A British official met Annie Ketchum because her poems were very popular in England.
The British official asked her to improve a popular Civil War song called "The Bonnie Blue Flag." She wrote new verses and published them as The Gathering Song. Because of this, the Northern authorities arrested Annie Ketchum. They asked her to take a special promise of loyalty to the Union. When she refused, she and her children were told to leave Memphis. She went back to her hometown in Kentucky and opened a school for advanced students.
Life After the War
After the Civil War ended, Annie returned to Memphis in 1866. She found her home had been destroyed. She started a new girls' school, and her daughter helped her. In the summer of 1867, her son, who was studying to become a minister, sadly died from a serious illness called cholera.
After her son's death, she left Memphis and traveled in Europe for several years, living in England and France. She wrote about her travels in articles called "Gypsying," which she sold to magazines in the U.S. to pay for her trips. Eventually, she became a Roman Catholic. In Paris, she joined a Dominican religious group in 1876. She became a "Tertiary of St. Dominic," which meant she followed their rules but did not live in a closed community. She wore regular clothes but would wear a special religious outfit on holy days. She was even buried in it. Her religious name was Sister Amabilis. She continued her work as a botanist, studying plants.
When she returned to the U.S., she lived in New York City. She wrote for journals and created over 100 lectures about literature, science, and art. During this time, she published her novel and her textbook, Botany for Academies and Colleges. This textbook included drawings she made during her visits to European gardens. People respected her greatly as a scientist and writer.
Annie Ketchum wrote many works, including:
- Nellie Bracken: a tale of forty years ago (a novel from 1855)
- Gypsying (her travel letters)
- Christmas Carillons: and other poems (a book of poems from 1888)
She also gave many lectures on science, literature, and art. Her botany textbook was very detailed and contained a lot of information for students.
Annie Ketchum passed away at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York on January 27, 1904.
Selected Works
- Hines. A story of New Orleans.
- Nelly Bracken, a tale of forty years ago., 1855
- Benny : a christmas ballad., 1870
- Lotos-flowers, gathered in sun and shadow, 1877
- Christmas carillons, and other poems., 1888
- Botany for academies and colleges: consisting of plant development and structure from seaweed to clematis, 1889
See also
In Spanish: Annie Chambers Ketchum para niños
