On May 24, 1830, Sarah J. Hale wrote the Mary Had a Little Lamb—one of our most timeless nursery rhymes. Hale was a writer and editor of Godey’s Ladies Journal, a popular women’s magazine of the era. After her husband’s death, and publishing two well-received books, she made the ultimate sacrifice. Leaving her children with family, she moved to Boston to take a position with what became American Ladies Magazine and lead to her job with Godey’s, one of the most influential publications for women in the 19th century. Second only to her first love, poetry, she was devoted to advocating for girls to receive the same education as boys. Her push for education and career opportunities for women lead to progress in both arenas as her legacy lives on today.
