Elizabeth Willing Powel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabeth Willing Powel
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Portrait of Elizabeth Willing Powel
by Matthew Pratt, c. 1793 |
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| Born |
Elizabeth Willing
February 21, 1743 |
| Died | January 17, 1830 (aged 86) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Resting place | Christ Church Burial Ground |
| Spouse(s) |
Samuel Powel
(m. 1769; died 1793) |
| Parents |
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Elizabeth Willing Powel (born February 21, 1743 – died January 17, 1830) was an important person in Philadelphia society during the late 1700s and early 1800s. Her father and later her husband were both mayors of Philadelphia.
Elizabeth was known for hosting many gatherings, like a "salon," where important political people and thinkers would meet. These events became a key part of political life in Philadelphia. During the Continental Congress in 1774, she welcomed delegates and their families into her home. After the American Revolutionary War, she continued to host these important meetings, creating a place for leaders to discuss ideas for the new country.
She wrote many letters to important people, including George Washington. She was a close friend and trusted advisor to Washington. She even helped convince him to serve a second term as president. Elizabeth also wrote privately about many topics, like politics, women's roles, and education.
Elizabeth Powel is famous for asking Benjamin Franklin, "What have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" Franklin reportedly replied, "A republic... if you can keep it." This quote is often used when talking about the Constitution of the United States.
After her husband, Samuel Powel, died in 1793, Elizabeth inherited most of his wealth. She managed the family's business and built a home for her nephew, John Hare Powel, who was her chosen heir. She lived on Chestnut Street for the last 30 years of her life and died in 1830. Her former home, the Powel House, is now a museum.
Contents
Elizabeth Powel's Life Story
Early Years
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Elizabeth Willing was born in Philadelphia on February 21, 1743. Her parents were Charles and Ann Willing. The family lived in a house on the corner of Third Street and Willings Alley.
Her father, Charles, came from England when he was 18. He was a successful merchant, meaning he traded goods with other countries. He was elected mayor of Philadelphia twice, in 1748 and 1754. Elizabeth's mother, Ann, came from a Quaker family of successful merchants.
We don't know much about Elizabeth's schooling. But because her family was wealthy, she likely had private tutors. Her writings show that she received a very good education.
Elizabeth had five older brothers and sisters: Thomas, Ann, Dorothy, Charles, and Mary. She also had five younger ones: Richard, Abigail, Joseph, James, and Margaret. When her father died in 1754, her older brother Thomas inherited the family home. As Thomas's family grew, Elizabeth, being the oldest unmarried sister, was expected to find a husband.
Marriage and Family
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Elizabeth married Samuel Powel in 1769. Samuel was one of the richest people in Philadelphia. He had inherited a large fortune from his grandfather. Samuel studied art in Europe for seven years before returning home.
Their marriage brought together two of the most important trading families in the city. Their wedding was held at Christ Church on August 7, 1769. Five days before the wedding, Samuel bought a house for them, which later became known as the Powel House. It was located near Elizabeth's childhood home.
Elizabeth and Samuel had four children, but sadly, all of them died very young. Their first son, Samuel Jr., died from smallpox when he was just a year old. Their second child was stillborn, meaning born without signs of life. Another boy was stillborn later. Their fourth child, named Samuel C., died after only two weeks. The loss of her children deeply affected Elizabeth throughout her life. She often wrote about her sadness and her hopes of being a mother.
Hosting Important Guests
During the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia in 1774, Elizabeth Powel opened her home to the delegates and their families. She hosted dinner parties and other events. Women were usually not allowed in official political roles back then. But hosting important figures in their homes gave women like Elizabeth a chance to play a big part in political discussions.
Elizabeth's popular gatherings at the Powel House were like French "salons," where people met to discuss ideas. These gatherings became a regular part of political life in Philadelphia. She encouraged talks about politics and philosophy and often shared her own thoughts on important matters.
One French nobleman, François-Jean de Chastellux, noted that Elizabeth, not her husband, was the main political thinker in their home. He said she was "well read and intelligent" and knew how to have "truly European" conversations.
Elizabeth hosted many important people, including Benjamin Rush, the Marquis de Lafayette, and John Adams. John Adams once described a "most sinful feast" at her home, with many kinds of delicious foods and drinks. His wife, Abigail Adams, called Elizabeth "the best informed, most affable, very friendly and full of conversation, a woman of many charms."
American Revolution
When the American Revolutionary War began in 1775, Elizabeth and her husband stayed in Philadelphia. Samuel was elected mayor of Philadelphia in October 1775. After the Declaration of Independence was signed in July 1776, the city government changed. Samuel became the last mayor under British rule.
During the war, British soldiers took over the Powel House for a short time in 1778. Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle, used it as his headquarters. The Powels had to move to a smaller part of their home. Carlisle found them "very agreeable, sensible people."
After the British left, Elizabeth became one of the most important social figures in Philadelphia. She continued to host her salon, bringing together leading thinkers and political figures of the new nation. These gatherings helped leaders connect and share ideas as the United States was being formed.
Friendship with George Washington
Elizabeth was a close friend and trusted advisor to George Washington, who was the commander of the Continental Army and later the first president of the United States. She was also friends with his wife, Martha Washington. The Washingtons first met the Powels in 1774.
Washington visited the Powel House often, spending more time there than with almost anyone else in the city. The Powels also visited Washington's home, Mount Vernon. Their friendship was one of Washington's closest with a woman in his later life. They respected each other as intellectual equals.
In 1792, Washington told Elizabeth that he planned to step down after his first term as president. Elizabeth felt it was important to share her thoughts with him. She wrote a long letter urging him to reconsider. She told him that if he retired, people who opposed the new government might use it as an argument to break up the country. She asked him not to give up his important role for an easier life.
After her letter, Washington was reelected a month later. Their friendship remained strong. He even asked a poet to write a poem for Elizabeth's 50th birthday. They wrote to each other regularly until Washington's death in 1799.
Later Life and Death
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Samuel Powel was reelected mayor in 1789, becoming Philadelphia's first mayor after the Revolution. In 1793, a terrible yellow fever epidemic hit Philadelphia. The Washingtons invited the Powels to stay at Mount Vernon for safety. But the Powels chose to stay in the city. Sadly, Samuel died from the disease in September 1793.
Elizabeth never remarried after her husband's death. She continued to write letters to the Washington family. Samuel left all his wealth to Elizabeth and put her in charge of his will. She managed his large estate, including trading bonds, stocks, and property.
In 1798, she sold the Powel House to her niece's husband, William Bingham. Elizabeth spent her last years in a mansion on Chestnut Street, close to Independence Hall. She also started building a new house on the country estate her husband had bought.
Elizabeth died on January 17, 1830. Her funeral was a well-attended event. She is buried next to her husband at Christ Church in Philadelphia. Her grave reads: "Distinguished by her good sense and her good works."
Elizabeth chose her nephew, John Powel Hare, to be her heir. He later changed his name to John Hare Powel. After her death, John inherited most of Elizabeth's estate.
Elizabeth Powel's Views
Elizabeth Powel often wrote letters to important people. She discussed politics, the education of women, and even scientific findings in medicine. She studied and wrote a lot about health.
Politics and War
While her husband was called a "Patriot Mayor," Elizabeth's feelings about the Revolutionary War were more complex. Her sisters were involved in boycotting British goods, but it's not clear if Elizabeth joined them. She worried about how the war would affect education, saying that "the barbarities of war have almost made mankind savage."
Later in her life, during the War of 1812, her strong love for her country and dislike for the British became very clear. She wrote that the British were "proud, cruel, selfish, [and] tyrannical." She praised the American Army, saying it was made up of "respectable citizens" and "highminded generous gentlemen."
Role of Women
Even though she was close to many political leaders, Elizabeth Powel had doubts about women holding public office. In a letter from 1785, she wrote that women are "totally unfit for government" and "the great affairs of public life." She believed that women's imaginations "run riot" and that men had the "vigor of mind" needed for big plans.
However, unlike many women of her time who avoided politics, Elizabeth often shared her strong opinions about leaders and the direction of the country. She was also careful about proper manners when writing letters to men. When George Washington's nephew, Bushrod Washington, first wrote to her, she didn't reply until his third letter. She reminded him that it was not proper for her to write to a man who didn't also write to her husband.
Religion
Elizabeth was very concerned with protecting the Powel family name and making sure it remained Protestant. When her heir, John Hare Powel, wanted money from his inheritance to marry, Elizabeth strongly refused. His fiancée was likely Elizabeth Caton, a Roman Catholic. Elizabeth Powel threatened to disinherit him because of this. She wrote that the Powel estate should not "be transmitted to any descendant of Charles Carroll of Carrollton" through her actions.
Slavery and Servitude
The Powels had both enslaved people and free and indentured servants. Records show they bought an enslaved person in 1773. However, by 1790, the family no longer held enslaved people, even though many of their neighbors still did. Records suggest the Powels cared for their servants' well-being.
Although she was born into and married into families that owned enslaved people, Elizabeth later strongly opposed slavery. In her will, she left money to the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. She included a message saying:
"I hate slavery in any form and believe that holding our fellow creatures in bondage is wrong. It goes against human kindness and the principles of a free republic... I feel it is every person's duty to help end slavery and bring freedom to those who have suffered under oppression for so long."
Her opposition to slavery can be traced back to at least 1814. She hoped that slavery would end before her gift to the Abolition Society ran out.
"A Republic ... If You Can Keep It"
In September 1787, during the final days of the Constitutional Convention, the delegates were writing the Constitution of the United States. Elizabeth Powel is famous for a conversation she had with Benjamin Franklin.
According to James McHenry, a delegate at the Convention, Elizabeth asked Franklin, "What have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" Franklin is said to have replied, "A republic... if you can keep it."
James McHenry's Accounts
McHenry first wrote about this conversation in his journal on September 18, 1787. He later added a note saying, "The lady here alluded to was Mrs. Powel of Philad[elphi]a."
In 1803, McHenry published a longer version of the conversation in a newspaper: Powel: Well, Doctor, what have we got? Franklin: A republic, Madam, if you can keep it. Powel: And why not keep it? Franklin: Because the people, on tasting the dish, are always disposed to eat more of it than does them good.
This story was then printed in several other newspapers. McHenry, who strongly supported the Federalist Party, may have changed the story slightly for political reasons.
In 1814, Elizabeth Powel said she didn't remember the exact conversation. But she didn't deny it happened. She remembered often talking about the Constitution with important members of the Convention at her house.
The Story Changes Over Time
Over time, the story of Elizabeth Powel's conversation with Franklin changed. While Franklin's quote remained famous, Elizabeth's role was often removed in later versions. In the 20th century, she was often replaced by an anonymous "lady," "woman," or "concerned citizen." The setting of the conversation also changed from her home to the steps of Independence Hall.
For example, in a 1940 speech, the question was attributed to a woman who "stuck her head out of a window." Even in recent times, authors and politicians have mentioned the quote without naming Elizabeth Powel.
Historian Zara Anishanslin argues that removing Elizabeth Powel from the story makes it seem like women weren't involved in the founding of the country. It also makes it harder to imagine women as political leaders today.
Powel House, Letters, and Portraits
In 1925, the Philadelphia Museum of Art bought the inside decorations of the Powel House. The second-floor front parlor was rebuilt as an exhibit there. In 1931, the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks bought the house itself.
Most of the interior pieces were returned to the house in 1934. The Powel House was fully restored and furnished with items from the 1700s. It opened to the public as a museum in 1938. The second-floor front parlor is still an exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The "withdrawing room" (a formal living room) is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Elizabeth Powel carefully copied her letters to family and friends. Nearly 500 of her letters still exist today. Recently, a hidden collection of her documents was found, including financial records and inventories in her own handwriting. These were given to the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks.
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Several portraits of Elizabeth Powel still exist. The earliest ones are from the late 1750s. Two portraits were painted by Matthew Pratt, one around the time of her marriage in 1769 and another after her husband's death in 1793. An unfinished portrait by Joseph Wright was recently donated to the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.
Elizabeth often received requests from artists to paint her portrait, but she declined many of them. In 1809, Benjamin Trott created a miniature portrait that Elizabeth liked, though she thought it was "too flattering." Her final portrait was painted around 1825 by a young artist named Francis Alexander. This last portrait is at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
See Also
In Spanish: Elizabeth Willing Powel para niños
