Second Trip to the Library of Congress to Analyze the Diary of Anna Thornton.

During my second visit to the Library of Congress I focused on reading and taking notes on Anna Maria Thornton's diary. I read from January of 1800 through August of 1800. First I would like to begin this entry by describing how Mrs. William Thornton (how she refers to herself) enters a description of the day. First she records the date and day on the periphery (ie Thursday March 4th). Underneath this headline she faithfully records the weather pattern for the day. She generally remarks if the day was rainy, clear, warm, windy, snowing, cloudy, fine, or very hot. The weather seems to be of particular importance because it effects the conditions of the roads. For example, when it rains her entry ususally remarks about the horrible condititions of the roads.

The next segment of the entry focuses on the body of the recording. She comments on daily activities beginning with breakfast and moving through the evening. Generally, she writes about what Dr. Thornton did, who they received mail from, who visitied the family, where she and her mom went shopping, when she worked, and sometimes includes commentary on the news of her day (Congress passed so and so...item on Napolean, etc). Occassionally, she remarks that nothing out of the ordinary occurred but on the whole the entries so far have been quite detailed. I once did get the impression that she did not write in the journal nightly but perhaps devoted time to it every couple of days remembering what happened for she made a mistake about when an event occurred and said she could not remember if it occurred the day or the day before. Nonetheless, she appears to be a faithful writer.

I recorded far too many journal entries for it to be worh while to transcribe all of them. Instead I will refer the reader back to my paper files on my thesis. I hope to import the film from the Library of Congress to Hopkins so that I may record the data in its original form with her handwrinting.

Comments on the letters. I think Anna Maria Thornton's letters will prove helpful to my thesis for several reasons. Not only is the thesis about women's roles in the creation of Washingtton DC but I must also recognize that Washington DC in part created the women that lived there. Anna Maria Thornton moved from Philadelphia to Washington City in 1797 when her husband was appointed one of the commissioners in charge of the cities development. Her journal marks numerous instances in which he has her copy plats and plans of the Capitol. "I was employed in altering and making circles on a map to shew the distance from the Capital and President's House after one which Dr. T had done at the office" In other instances she comments on the designs of the new houses that are being built in the city. For example, she comments on a visit to the Laws house: " Dr T accompanied them to the capital, The General and Mr. Laws hous- the latter being locked we entered by the kitchen window and went all over it. It is a very pleasant roomy house but the oval drawing room is spoiled by the corners of the ceiling and two niches which destroy the shape of the room ". She also makes many comments on tha lack of funding and population of the city to significantly flourish.

Anna Maria Thornton is clearly an educated woman. She spends much time writing ancient histories (which on occasion she refers to as "work ") and putting together newspaper clippings about particular events into scrapbooks. One must also recognize that she is an elite woman. She clearly enjoys the leisure time unafforded to working class women. She clearly understands her participation to be a result of her husbands position. In fact she once wrote"This little journal is ratehr an account of my husband's transactions than mine, but theere is so little varsity in our life that I have nothing worth recording, and this may rather be called a memorandum than journal. Keep in mind, Anna Thornton moved from a busy and bustinng city of Phildelphia to the woods of Washington. This change could have impacted how she viewed the importance of her life. Anna Thornton even seems to enjoy the benefits of her husband's power commenting that a couple had to ask her husband to a review a deed for he occupied the authority of a magistrate in the City.

So what does Anna Thornton mean to my thesis. Well I think the important thing to recognize is that Anna Thornton does take part in the creation of Washington DC. Her role here seems to be observer rather than producer but I must also keep in mind that I am accessing her through a diary; an observant medium buyt its very nature. I think the important things to look at HER and women like her are their role in boosting the local economy: what does it mean that Anna Thornton travels to Georgetown shops rather than local Washington shops. She also travels in a particular circle of men and women: the Laws, the Washingtons, the Forrests, Marbury. She is privy to info other people clearly do not have access to. She also clearly sees the house as her place of management so when she and DR. T contract with Blodget for a house she comments on the building process of the city. I think she would make a medium between Isabella Clark and Abigail Adams. I want the thesis to focus on a range of women from a variety of classes.

Important Note: On the way down to the Library of Congress I had an interesting discussion with a grad student about my thesis. I happened to mention that both Abigail Adams and Isabella Clark mention the word bubble when referring to the speculative selling of DC. Well he asked me if I was aware of the terms origin. He believed that in the 1760s the term bubble was used to refer to a failed and corrupt government project stemming from an incident occuring in England's Parliment in the 1720s called the South Sea Bubble. He mentioned something about Cato's letters for the American interpretation. Does Dr. Papenfuse know anything about this?