Kemble Knight's Journal

Group 1 (Jared, Connor, Anna D., Jazmin, Anna H., & Maria)

Traveling to another land, city, state, or country can be very exciting and extremely fun, but it can also be frustrating and disappointing. When you head off into your exciting journey of visiting an unknown place you begin with the travel experience. Many people voyage off by plane, boat, or car. One thing that can be extremely frustrating while traveling to another place would have to be directions, and finding your way around. One of the most frustrating things can be getting lost or not knowing which direction you are suppose to be headed in. One way in fixing this problem would be to ask someone who knows the area for directions or how to get to a specific location; most people are friendly enough to help someone with directions. The great thing about experience a different location would have to be the scenery and events that happen along with the different cultures you come across. You may need to be careful sometimes in making sure you don’t offend another culture since you are the person visiting their land and into their culture. Another important thing to remember when visiting another place would be to make sure you have everything you will need during your visit and to make sure when currency comes up you know how to use it there and how much of it.

1.) What differences do you see between Kemble Knight’s journal and other historical accounts we’ve read so far?

In other historical accounts we have read so far, Kemble’s Knight's journal is different because it shows true opinion. Kemble's opinion shows much more racism than other accounts we have read. She speaks about slave owners in New Haven, and how they allowed the slaves to eat at the table with them. ""...suffering too great familiarity from them, permitting them to sit at table and eat with them ( as they say, to save time), and into the dish goes the black hoof as feely as the white hand" (164). Kemble also speaks about drinking while on her journey. "a gentlewoman that lived at a farm house, who gave us a handsome entertainment of five or six dishes and a choice of beer..." (167). Many of the other historical readings we have been assigned have shown religion as the main purpose of the reading. I believe Kemble's piece however is more focused on opinion and rebellious words and choices made while on her journey.

2.) What accounts for the difference?

One of the main reasons for the differences seen between Knight and other journals read was due to her background. She was a very determined woman which accounts for her someone straightforward, blunt attitude while journaling. She had to "make her way in the world" (pg 162) and was hard-headed because of it. She also married a man who traveled a lot- so even though she was with someone, she still had to fend for herself and let her independence shine through. In her era, there weren't very many women writers to come by, which is why she also had to come on strong in her writing. All of these factors contributed to her style of writing, and why it was quite different from others we've read. Another thing that accounts for the differences is that because of the work she put into her career she was not afraid to show her opinion. While her husband was gone she ran a boardinghouse and taught at a school. She taught herself about laws and with that knowledge she settled many estates. Unlike other women in her time, she brought herself into a position normally taken by men. Because she is proud of this, she can become arrogant sometimes. Such as when she is in Connecticut and she calls their chief red-letter day "St. Election" day. She is making fun of the day by saying that it is as sacred as a religious holiday for the people of Connecticut. She is not afraid to express her opinion about other towns and how they are different from her Boston. While in Connecticut, she mentions that the people are "too indulgent to their slaves" and that the Native Americans she saw were the most savage she had ever seen.

3.) Why do you think Kemble Knight’s journal wasn’t read until the 19^th Century?

Kemble knight’s journal summarized her roundtrip journey from Boston to New York in 1704-1705. We believe that it was not read until the 19th century because it records an arduous journey not usually undertaken by a woman. This to me would not make for an interesting novel for the 17th century and would have bored a lot of educated individuals, usually the male population due to cultural beliefs back then. Thus, for the Kemble’s journal to be published in the 19th century is a little more applicable, more female audience, shows that not only men were independent but there were also women that were very independent. Another part of the reason that her writing wasn't published was because it probably wouldn't have received much notice at the time. Women were not published as frequently then as now, and this particular type of work (especially written by a woman) was not in demand at the time. Her journal also finally found an enthusiastic audience eager to read her documents and social history from the American past. The people in the nineteenth century would find something in the past more interesting to read as to figure out the details of their lives and where they came from rather than someone living in that time.