Hannah White Arnett facts for kids

Hannah White Arnett (1733–1823) was a brave American woman. She is famous for stopping a group of men in Elizabethtown, Province of New Jersey (now Elizabeth), from giving up on the American Revolution. These men were thinking about promising their loyalty to Great Britain in exchange for safety.

Hannah White Arnett: A Revolutionary Voice

Standing Up for Freedom

In 1776, during the American Revolution, a group of men met at Hannah White Arnett's house. They were discussing an offer from the British. The British promised to protect their lives and property if they stayed loyal to the King.

When Hannah heard them, she was very upset. She called them "cowards" and "traitors" for even thinking about it. Her husband, Isaac, tried to get her to leave the room. But Hannah kept talking, telling the men how wrong they were. She even said she would leave her husband if he stopped supporting the fight for American independence. Her strong words convinced the men. They eventually decided to refuse the British offer and continued to support the Revolution.

Inspiring a Nation: The DAR Connection

Hannah White Arnett's story became an important part of American history. It showed how ordinary people, even women, played a big role in the Revolution.

How Her Story Spread

The story of Hannah White Arnett was first shared in 1876. Henrietta Holdich wrote about it in a newspaper called the New York Observer. Years later, in 1890, Mary Smith Lockwood published Hannah's story in the Washington Post. This happened after a group called the Sons of the American Revolution would not let women join them. Mary Smith Lockwood ended her article by asking where Hannah Arnett would fit among American heroes.

Forming the Daughters of the American Revolution

Just a week after Mary Smith Lockwood's article, William O. McDowell wrote in the Washington Post. He was a great-grandson of Hannah White Arnett. He offered to help create a new group for women. This group would be called the Daughters of the American Revolution. The very first meeting of this new society took place on August 9, 1890.

Remembering a Patriot: Memorials

Hannah White Arnett is remembered for her courage. In 1938, a special memorial was put up in the cemetery of the First Presbyterian Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey. This memorial honors "the patriotic dead of many wars," especially "a noble woman Hannah White Arnett." She is buried in this cemetery.

Another marker on the cemetery wall, which is now hard to read, also honored her. It said that her "patriotic words, uttered in the dark days of 1776, summoned discouraged men to keep Elizabethtown loyal to the cause of American independence."

A chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Fort Payne, Alabama, is named after her. It is called the Hannah White Arnett Chapter.