Lucy Sheldon's Music Books and Student Artifacts: A Cultural Glance at Litchfield Female Academy and Nineteenth-Century Litchfield, Connecticut

As early as the mid-eighteenth century, Litchfield, Connecticut, touted itself as a prosperous commercial center where some of the businessmen participated in the China Trade. In 1751 it was the fourth largest town and the county seat in what is now known as Connecticut. During the Revolutionary War, Litchfield was one of the foremost repositories for military stores and custody of “royalist prisoners,” as well as the army headquarters for Western Connecticut. Because of its importance in the War's supply chain and its location on the major route between New England and the West, general officers of the War repeatedly visited and held numerous discussions that led to important consequences.Given Litchfield's historical significance, it is not surprising that it attracted many professional and college-educated men.1 Although a small town, Litchfield was a thriving New England community with a vibrant cultural society. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, it could boast of many men of national repute, such as the Reverend Lyman Beecher, Tapping Reeve (see fig. 1), Oliver Wolcott, and Benjamin Talmadge. Founded in 1784, Tapping Reeve's Law School (the first Law School in the nation) became renowned and could name graduates who held distinguished political positions.2 Writing in 1855 historian Gideon Hiram Hollister contended that Litchfield drew the “nobility of American genius,” including “[William J.] Calhoun, [William] Clayton, [Charles Holland] Mason, [Charles Greely] Loring, [Charles L.] Woodbury . . . and a host of others, who were preparing themselves for high places of the cabinet, the senate, and the bench.”3 The presence of such a notable Law School and socially upscale society provided fertile ground for the establishment of Sarah Pierce's distinguished Litchfield Female Academy in 1792 (see figs. 2 and 3).For this article I am using the four music books belonging to Lucy Sheldon (see fig. 4; June 27, 1788–April 7, 1889), a life-long resident of Litchfield and a student at the Academy from 1801–1805, along with relevant excerpts from Sheldon's and contemporary students’ diaries and journal entries as a cultural yardstick for which the town was known and the education offered at the institution. An investigation of music pedagogy and music teachers at the Academy is beyond the scope of this paper.Except for meager information in some student diaries, no primary source material, including other students’ music books, survives to document the music instruction at the Academy. Fortunately, the Litchfield Historical Society houses Sheldon's music books. Although they date from 1818—over a decade following the time she attended the school—Linda Hocking, archivist at the Historical Society, has confirmed that they are representative of the music studied and performed at the Academy.4Chronicles of a Pioneer School from 1792 to 1833 Being the History of Miss Sarah Pierce and Her Litchfield School, compiled by Emily Noyes Vanderpoel and edited by Elizabeth C. Barney Buel, and More Chronicles of a Pioneer School From 1792 to 1833 Being Added History on the Litchfield Female Academy Kept by Miss Sarah Pierce and Her Nephew, John Pierce Brace, compiled by Emily Noyes Vanderpoel, includes portions of diaries, journals, letters, and other documentation, making these valuable primary source materials for this article. Collectively, these documents and Sheldon's volumes provide a description of the prestigious society in contemporary Litchfield.Young women in antebellum America adopted the popular custom of owning “binder's volumes:” printed sheet music and/or handwritten copies of music they collected and had bound into one or more volumes, depending on the amount of music. Sheldon's four music books, regarded as binder's volumes, testify to her musical tastes, level of ability, likely popular composers, music, and genres. Three of Sheldon's books are in manuscript; only Book 3 contains copies of printed music. Since printed sheet music was expensive (if it was available), schools purchased one copy of the music, and students paid teachers to copy the music in their books. Much of the repertory in Sheldon's books consists of pieces for piano solo or solo voice with piano accompaniment. Occasionally there are parts for other instruments, including flute, violin, guitar, harp, or organ. “Handel's Clarinet” (Book 1) is the sole piece for an instrument with piano accompaniment. In rare instances, only the melody and text appear or simply the text. The vocal repertory focuses on parlor songs with sentimental and pseudo-folk themes, in addition to a few sacred pieces. Solo piano works consist of the smaller and larger forms popular at the time, such as ballade, march, waltz, or variations.Binder's volumes conveyed a “cultural curriculum that helped preserve norms and hierarchies within social structure.” As musicologist Candace Bailey posits, this curriculum, supplemented with various published contemporary advice books, provided instruction for young women “to adhere to the strict cultural expectations that governed their lives.”5 While it is not feasible to cover all aspects of the Academy's education and cultural traditions of the town, Sheldon's music books, along with journal and diary entries, offer a window onto the music education and the religious, physical, moral, and social customs upheld in the voguish lifestyle of Litchfield.Appalled at the neglected mental and moral culture of her sex, Pierce devoted her life to remedying the situation. The Litchfield Female Academy made a valuable contribution to the intellectual and sophisticated environment of Litchfield.6 Unlike numerous early female seminaries and academies, it operated as a transitional institution. Similar to many late eighteenth-century private schools, it had a meager beginning taught by one teacher and offered a few academic and ornamental courses. Gradually the Academy expanded to include a full staff of teachers and a curriculum that foreshadowed the development of the female seminary movement. In view of the limited educational opportunities available for women and the cerebral and fashionable climate of Litchfield, the school quickly attained a high reputation despite its small-town locality. Hollister argues that the influence of Litchfield's acclaimed intellectuals in establishing the nation's laws “was almost rivaled by the efforts of Miss Sarah Pierce in another department of learning.”7 Catharine Beecher contends that by 1810 the Academy had attained the highest reputation of any school in the country.8The Academy's distinguished repute resulted in rapid growth. By 1802 there were seventy students; nine years later the number had increased to eighty-seven; in 1814 there were ninety-six pupils, while the peak enrollment occurred in 1816 with 157 students.9 The enrollment often exceeded that of contemporary male academies; for example, in 1822 the highest number of graduates recorded from any male college in the United States was 135.10 A varied geographic student body contributed to the Academy's celebrated reputation and elegant Litchfield lifestyle. Initially the school attracted many young women from local families, but by 1802 only 11 percent of the school population came from Litchfield. The prominence of such well-known men undoubtedly served as a networking system, helping to influence many families to send their daughters to the Academy. As the student body continued to grow, it drew pupils from every state in the Union as well as upper and lower Canada, Ireland, and the West Indies.11Principals Sarah Pierce and John P. Brace (see fig. 5) strongly supported a liberal arts curriculum; however, they argued that their educational goals culminated in preparing young women to undertake their place in the home and to enter to a the education and of the and of the young the on this of female In the nineteenth century, many and young women to young to their as an to their regarded this to an intellectual Pierce that many of her students were from upper she devoted moral, and instruction in to their in that of education was a of the instruction that Pierce as to the students’ intellectual and Sarah Pierce was not a she the high for music and as she for academic her educational on and that music education moral by which I on an instrument or is a in any who has time and to to the for it no of to to others, and in many of and which in almost every . . . Pierce music a valuable of young women to enter was the only instrument available for private instruction at the Academy. in student diaries and music that numerous students to that the Academy not many making it to and example, in her journal on that she at four and a in music at in the recorded that she had her music in the parlor of Pierce's no piano was available at the Sheldon was to a piano (see fig. which her to music education as an to female that students had their it that Sheldon's had the to her an Sheldon's piano was by and likely purchased from John a American who made from a into and as a in New and the piano in Sheldon's music books her musical and level of it to the Academy's reputation in music instruction and its to of popular The four books a of piano from the smaller pieces waltz, march, ballade, and to the larger and and pieces. and are in for example, and in the (Book and (Book and to (Book and (Book of while at the time, are now such as and was the smaller forms in Sheldon's books. is not surprising that Litchfield was a and an in the In the a piece on the and Pierce an important the historical as in some of the Sheldon to include often made in their to sacred or Pierce her she could not one for the students to that her of the some to a for example, of (Book 1) and New and (Book while some to a place or and (Book to (Book in by Book and in (Book of the solo piano in Sheldon's books that pieces such as (Book 1) (Book and by (Book are of works as and the student to the (see nineteenth became a for the and for often a from a fashionable an or as a which to Sheldon's books of this and a of Sheldon's it in and pieces were popular the late eighteenth and of the of by one of the is in Sheldon's piece various of a beginning with a march, by such as of with of the and of the to this of and the of In of the with the the by an are by the the for in the and are in the by is by rapid in the and general in the pieces were to but of to the and the Pierce's for Sheldon to include this in her made for the piano of well-known works and that could the works at example, an of in Sheldon's Book as well as to by students not the of private vocal they the to instruction in known as Pierce to this to the The occurred every and at the school or at the local the students these they often attended in their diaries and only one Lucy Sheldon a on she that she to but had a what to such an that the entries are for example, the attended Sheldon's books numerous the of the parlor and songs are to with that popular in fashionable such as (Book 1), (Book (Book and has not (Book of vocal in Book 3 Sheldon's to to date with contemporary which to the cultural in Litchfield. of the include the in the for example, A New A of A and A a at and an by Book 3 includes vocal I on from The of or Female by and and and from the and that the students and Litchfield had the of The of and which more and parlor Sheldon's vocal and the level of in vocal in Litchfield's held at the school or the drew including the of the The young in for such the the students had the or the and who in their the Academy in and piano the students an to their A of in the local the Litchfield on the of the education and the students’ The and the music, were of a to the and as to and the of the . . . The of music was and of in this of no to the pieces it likely that of the by or (Book for piano their and level of that Lucy to her musical by (Book a piece for voice with piano that beyond the making it a for musical and for example, for for for for a and and along with such as of and of printed the music to the (see to of such students’ education of of including education and In to a who the of a young as at the Academy and in Litchfield, was The sacred music in Sheldon's books to the importance in Pierce not to the Academy with a she it on and The Reverend Lyman Beecher, of the local from Sarah Pierce as student and held at the school the importance of a Pierce devoted to with the staff of the various other with the school taught the Beecher, for example, who had a influence in the taught the in and led student for the years the in Brace that Beecher a on every at home and that they were valuable for students from the they . . . . the Academy students to in the home in which they and a of and addition to an upscale Litchfield that the a as Lucy Sheldon not but the of on many of their and that Society, who to from their to their and with who who is a in and who the high of the of with with with and as opportunities to and young women were to the as a . . not in or but every in to in to . . . was diaries many they attended on some and while to the As in her many occurred at the the the first one years the in the New was for from the undoubtedly of the the of music, not to her for sacred . . . the of however, and this which was sacred and to the of the many songs are in such such a of as are only to the of a (if I the sacred the of this music is in itself more any what to some of or the there is an the a for sacred music the of many the of music on their on instruction and the lifestyle at the Academy the of music studied and performed at the as is in Sheldon's music books. four books sacred music with a of vocal and solo voice with piano and with and with piano and and Since the it that some of the in Sheldon's books such as by (Book at a the is as a as in are all of include (Book 1), (Book and (Book student at the Academy from 1816 to in her journal that the late at the the time some of the young not had a of to the young in the seat and a of to with the Academy's as in and while in the of all in a place of is not only to but an of and to the and the As Sarah Pierce this was and for a young popular it in and In Book the text is in and and is for and while the in Book 2 is in with the melody supported by piano accompaniment. is the only vocal piece in the four books in any other (Book for voice and with and four for a sacred for or are but all were to by the four as a piano The piano in and four a Sheldon's level as a is from the (Book and for (Book 1) were likely in to and to a in the students at the Academy In Sheldon in her diary she the this was I attended and a by well to the the in to in it was not a was an to . . . was no school in the I the in and the in that Lucy Sheldon with her she in Litchfield, they to as a by the Academy regarded it as a it is a however, the in Litchfield the custom of the of England with the the of from other physical, moral, and social instruction as valuable to the students’ education as their intellectual and In to young who were to enter these could not contended that was for and it as 2 in of Litchfield are not only to in the but in the for the of an of and to the students’ were to various academic and a a Pierce her in students an they the and and in the young women the importance of this every of young and the and to and from the The students’ to the of and as Law student with was a of school the and to the music of a and The were and their in this of the was the school of Miss Pierce . . . not the music that the or the of the it was one of the in Sheldon's music books, such as (Book to (Book or (Book Academy not offer a few students with Pierce in her and the with families in Litchfield. a the provided the that their daughters the and as in their this the pupils more for social schools with The high with had a years as many as pupils in the Academy and the Law School places to which a for Pierce to that the influence on the The Academy the students to by the of the where they families strict for example, the Law students to the as as Pierce no her they not in a later the between the and young to as who for Litchfield to were they such in the . . . a was on as well as on the of the on the was a of in with the high while in were of of the young of the to there where they were more from the presence of their one of the the but and one was by school for a of time the early some and the and the the school their time to the that the school could the was to the of Sarah Pierce the she was of their or to their to a life a of the education offered at the Academy. with the and that the and society were one Pierce the importance of intellectual and social development at her school and argued that to one a to the the students to the between their and social often and young women opportunities to for example, only to by an was served at in the and for Beecher later of and and of and of and of the the nine the nine as to not the of the of the with they who with the of Lucy to a one but a she the as she in her and Sheldon to to with her and Miss a of from for she had made the was at Sheldon her and I . . . The was of the the Miss Beecher, and the the the was the and I well I was not at the I to the who to and I and she it in her for who was the in the to I all nine Miss to and all the her was and as I the center of the and I what I I home that a a which no from I the with a no one was in the but and are home at late I by that it was but a that I as well as for it I had only years by that I the it was I for a but there was I and I to in the made no As I I as a and I was at home with I was and I I I and I for The was but the was and I I had not not any that some of the elegant of Litchfield were in and that was to the she was to late in home was a social in the to other pupils at a home in the example, in her journal on that the and while with the in Sheldon's are for and not include of in her journal however, it likely that they could songs such as in Sheldon's Book for example, and the by by I on A New in the of or Female and and were a of such as a from As in her diary on June the students to the time as they and to a for who were not of the time some of the were young but to was some of the were a and this to were of four songs are in Sheldon's Book and but of the of these the students a with their The of a young who has as in this a no no and now am of but the of and in is all a for is all a for of the of but but but the on as of and and for the but of a from to and but to the but their in as well as the of provided the and for the the diaries or include of the songs the students at the however, it not that the songs they in such as the from could at the families in the Law School and the Academy the foremost social and Pierce as of a education as any of an and to the body . . . . society such as important of a young social and A as held at the school is as small where all or Pierce the students of the however, their were . . . is not at its . . . an elegant the of music, . . . are to the in a beyond the of Pierce as a moral social for the . . . attained the of a for these elegant with a for and one distinguished at a and the no other what the of a well or an are to Litchfield of where and society in the Academy at the of with Pierce or Brace in were to at years of to they had their The Law students it an to the Academy a of the Law students made a of every Pierce or Brace the students’ The early in the some continued nine while at A student from Connecticut, was with held at the at Miss Pierce's school all the at a a and by and The young women from the Law students to held in and by the of Litchfield in the of the local the or on the of the United States with a to which the students were As historian any could the for a the of New the of a that was a of the social life of numerous the and The students the and it was time to Law students the one Lucy Sheldon from to for a of pieces to the music that was but the in Sheldon's books not of the for example, (Book 1) and and (Book Litchfield Female Academy and the Law School had many opportunities to in Litchfield's social Sarah Pierce the importance of women an intellectual education that to and of a for the while at the time in the to enter Academy young women with the Law and many were made the of the Law students the young women in their and it was that many of the As of to an was to the were often their were the the the the and Miss who became . . . and to their the time their the young men to on but to the one who to her strict the of Sarah Pierce was to the to Miss Pierce's parlor was the which could a young Pierce her students and a to they were not this not the Law students from a with the Academy Law student another became I first to I was in were she the these young the of this students for their they not was to . . . the Academy and Law School in the town to in many was not the of of the songs in Sheldon's books a with the culture in Litchfield. such as (Book the of a While I on to the not of they to I no I to for what to songs for example, of (Book The first the by on the of in that on the of in that first but a it the that were of all the the that I was of all the the that were that I was of all the the that I was of this the of many Academy students who their the Law school students or other young men in however, many with no of Lucy Sheldon's music books her of music and level of by excerpts from diaries and journal entries, they provide a which to view the musical instruction and Pierce regarded as to a young education in for social and Sheldon's music books and student as a of the culture to which Litchfield in the early nineteenth

Récupéré en direct depuis OpenAlex et désinversé. Les résumés ne sont pas conservés dans cette base de données : les index inversés représentent 8,6 Go des 9,3 Go de texte de la base, et le serveur dispose de 13 Go libres.