Sarah Hale and the Ladies Magazine

Being widowed at thirty-four proved to be the shaping event of Sarah's life. She wore black, in mourning, for the rest of her life. She tried to provide for herself and her children by going into millinery with a relative, but that venture failed. Sarah was also a prolific writer, however, and parlayed that into income through submissions to periodicals and literary contests, self-publishing a book of her poetry, and writing a successful novel.

On the basis of that success, Sarah was invited by Reverend Blake, an Episcopalian minister in Boston, to edit a magazine he intended to found for young ladies. The offer was unexpected, but Sarah took it on immediately, and the Ladies Magazine was a success within its first few issues.

Ladies Magazine cautioned women against materialism, competitiveness, and frivolity. Women were also discouraged from becoming involved in politics, public agitation, and public speaking. Women who dared to step outside of the boundaries of their sphere were soundly criticized by Sarah Hale in the pages of Ladies Magazine.

The Ladies Magazine differed from its competitors as it was the only one being written and edited by a woman, for women. The magazine was much higher in original content than any other in publication at the time, and the lion's share of the material was written by Sarah herself, with contributions of poetry and fiction from other women.

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