Week 5

Who was Martha Ballard? The notice of her death in a local newspaper summed up her life in just one sentence: "Died in Augusta, Mrs. Martha, consort of Mr. Ephraim Ballard, aged 77 years. Mrs. Ballard's life was simple, much like the many women who lived in rural America in the years before the Revolution. She was born in 1735 in the small central Massachusetts town of Oxford. The real story of her life, however, began in Maine with the diary she began at age fifty. This diary, in often gripping detail, explains the day-to-day life of a midwife on the frontier of early America. One of the few examples of the perspectives of an average woman, her diary has become one of the most important documents about early American life. This week in class, we will get to know a bit more about her adventures, and will work on learning how to read early American handwriting. To get some practice before class please try the examples in the link below.

Martha Ballard Transcription Practice