Betsey Metcalf Baker facts for kids

Betsey Metcalf Baker (born Betsey Metcalf; 1786-1867) was a clever inventor and businesswoman. She lived in Providence, Rhode Island and Westwood, Massachusetts. Betsey became famous for making straw bonnets and for helping her community.

When she was young, Betsey figured out a new way to braid straw. This allowed her to make beautiful bonnets that looked like expensive ones from other countries. But her bonnets were much cheaper! Instead of keeping her secret, Betsey taught many women in her community how to make them. This helped thousands of people find work and earn money from home.

Betsey's Story

Early Life and Invention

Betsey Metcalf was born on March 29, 1786, in Providence, Rhode Island. Her father, Joel Metcalf, worked with leather as a tanner.

When Betsey was just 12 years old, she saw a fancy, expensive bonnet in a store. She wanted to make one like it! So, she gathered straw from her father's field. She then used a special Straw plaiting technique, weaving seven strands of straw together. She even lined her first bonnet with pink silk.

Before Betsey's invention, the best straw bonnets came from Italy. They were called "Leghorn" bonnets and cost a lot of money. But then, a law called an embargo stopped many goods from coming into the United States. This made imported bonnets even harder to get and more expensive.

Betsey's new method was perfect! It was much cheaper and easier to make bonnets in America. Soon, Betsey and her sister were making good money, sometimes earning a dollar a day. Betsey started teaching other women in her town how to make these popular straw bonnets. This helped many families.

Adult Life and Activism

As an adult, Betsey moved to West Dedham, which is now Westwood, Massachusetts. She worked there as a schoolteacher. In 1807, she married Obed Baker, who transported supplies.

Betsey also cared deeply about helping others. During the Irish Potato Famine, a terrible time when many people in Ireland were starving, Betsey collected food, clothes, and other important items. She sent these supplies to help the people in Ireland.

She also spoke out against slavery, working to end it.

In 1858, the state of Rhode Island honored Betsey. Governor Elisha Dyer asked for a painting of her to be made. This painting was hung in the new Union Station building. It had a special message that said:

Resolved, That Mrs. Baker, as the first inventor in the United States of the art of plaiting, or braiding straw for ladies’ hats and bonnets, - a business which now gives employment to thousands of persons and millions of capital, - is especially entitled to honor and respect from this society, incorporated for the encouragement of domestic industry in this her native State.

The governor also asked Betsey to write down her life story in a diary. This diary is now kept at the Rhode Island Historical Society in Providence.

Later Years

Betsey Metcalf Baker passed away on February 24, 1867, in Westwood, Massachusetts. She left behind a legacy as a smart inventor and a kind person who helped many people.