Nancy Hewitt research collection

Collection

Identifier: D.543

Staff Only

Biographical / Historical note

Nancy A. Hewitt (1951- ) is a historian, author, and Emeritus Professor of History and Women's Studies at Rutgers University. She received her BA from SUNY Brockport and her PhD from University of Pennsylvania. Hewitt has taught at the University of South Florida, Duke University and the University of Cambridge in addition to Rutgers University. She has also worked as a historian to create exhibits and tours for the Woman’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, NY. In 2000, Hewitt was awarded the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship for her work in U.S. History. Hewitt's extensive research background in American women's history, nineteenth century U.S. history, and women's activism has led to numerous publications in her name. Most notably, her biography titled Radical Friend: Amy Kirby Post and Her Activist Worlds was published in 2018 and explores the life of Amy Kirby Post, a radical Hicksite Quaker active in the 19th century suffrage and abolition movements of Rochester, NY.

Scope and Contents

The Nancy Hewitt research collection primarily consists of research notes, drafts, and correspondence relating to her 2018 biography of Rochester activist Amy Post, Radical Friend: Amy Kirby Post and Her Activist Worlds. While some of Hewitt's research corresponds to specific chapters of her book, much of it examines contextual topics such as women's suffrage, Quaker society, abolition, and general Rochester history. This material consists of photocopies of primary sources, email correspondences, and Hewitt's handwritten notes. Included with her research on Rochester is a reproduction of Gillette’s 1858 map of Monroe County; a larger, original copy of this map is available for researcher use at RBSCP.

This collection also contains various published articles and talks by Hewitt over the years, most focusing on Amy Post or women’s history and activism. Also included is research and correspondence from her 1981 dissertation: “Women's Activism and Social Change: The Case of Rochester, NY 1822-1872”. There are personal and research notebooks used throughout her writing process, as well as a copy of her 1980 dissertation proposal and a leather-bound original copy of the completed dissertation.

Creator

Hewitt, Nancy A., 1951- (Person)

Dates

Creation: 1976-2018

Language of Materials

English

Extent

3.85 cubic feet

Access

The Nancy Hewitt research collection is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.

Use

Reproductions are made upon request but can be subject to restrictions. Permission to publish materials from the collection must currently be requested. Please note that some materials may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. For more information contact rarebks@library.rochester.edu

Immediate Source of Acqusition

Gift of Nancy Hewitt, 2018.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], Nancy Hewitt Research Collection, D.543, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Arrangement

Series I: Radical Friend manuscripts and letters

Subseries I: Radical Friend research material

Series II: Professional files

Series III: PhD Research “Women's Activism and Social Change: The Case of Rochester, NY 1822-1872”