The Queen of America de Mary Cutts

The Queen of America

Mary Cutts

Catherine Allgor

For biographers and fans of Dolley Payne Todd Madison, Mary Estelle Elizabeth Cutts's memoir of her famous aunt has been indispensable. With most of the memoir's events taking place before Cutts's birth, the common assumption is that this is the closest we have to Dolley's autobiographical voice. But most have accepted the memoir (and its subsequent rewrite) at face value, as simply fact. With a new annotated transcription by Lee Langston Harrison, Catherine Allgor, and James T. Connolly of both drafts of the memoir, "Vanishing Ladies" offers scholars and general readers the first modern version of this crucial piece of Founder biography. The opening essay by Dolley Madison biographer, Catherine Allgor, presents the memoir as not only a source for the "Queen of America," but, with a focus on Mary Cutts as author, as a prime example of a nineteenth-century woman's bid for historical significance from deep within the Cult of True Womanhood. A biographical essay by Montpelier Research Scholar, Beth Taylor, supplies background on Mary Cutts, the "Vanishing Lady" who fashions Dolley's life into part of the historical record. A new headnote will prepare the reader for the unusual type of documents to come, while piquing their interest in what changes the documents will reveal. A concluding essay by Madison scholar Holly Shulman evaluates the historical uses (and misuses) of the document as a tool for understanding Dolley's life.

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When children are safe and loved, they are able to become. When children are not safe and not loved, their stress and distress are not attended to, they live in a state of high alert. They develop a coping self, hiding the injured child. This book attempts to answer the question How could the sense of self that abuse shattered, or neglect failed to establish, be restored? Drawing on her experiences as a counsellor, her study of trauma and recovery, neurobiology and child development, Mary has documented what she has learnt about the self and how it can be restored. Her own healing was done in the context of a spiritual journey. She has brought that journey together with her understanding of trauma. To illustrate what she has learnt about the Self, Mary weaves her own story through the book. It was written for those for whom conservative Christianity no longer fits, but for whom a relationship with God and a spiritual path is important. It is written for those who have experienced childhood trauma and those who support them. May it bless and encourage."This extraordinary book is written from the heart but informed by a vast expertise in trauma counselling and lived experience of a complicated life of trauma. In these pages was an explanation of human life, its trauma, what we do to survive and how we can heal. I have never read a book that taught me so much about myself and had me recognising my own life and story on every page. It is written with such openness that you have no choice but to open yourself to what lies within. A voyage deep into the human heart and soul, a tapestry so intimate and intricate it draws together all the things you think you might have known but have not been able to put together. Until now." Grateful reader. "A courageous, compassionate, reflective and insightful journey of hurt and healing, underpinned by solid principles and strategies gained over many years of real-world practice. An authentic voice for self-empowerment." Tony Evers Community Mental Health Educator and Mentor.

Descriere

For biographers and fans of Dolley Payne Todd Madison, Mary Cutts's memoir of her famous aunt has been indispensable. With this new, annotated transcription of both drafts of the memoir, The Queen of America offers scholars and general readers the first modern and contextualized version of this crucial piece of Founding-era biography.