Untold Voices of the American Revolution: Women

Elizabeth & Ann Timothy: America’s First Female Journalists in Colonial and Revolutionary Times

In 1738, Elizabeth Timothy of Charleston become the first female newspaper publisher in America. Though her young son Peter was listed as publisher of the South Carolina Gazette, Elizabeth managed the business until he came of age. During the Revolutionary War, tragedy struck again when Peter Timothy died after being held prisoner by the British. His widow, Ann Timothy, stepped forward to continue the family legacy, publishing the newspaper through the war years and into the early republic. Together, Elizabeth and Ann Timothy represent two generations of remarkable women who were a significant influence in news and public opinion during some of the most turbulent years in American history.

About the presenter:
Professor Emerita Pat McNeely taught writing and reporting in the University of South Carolina College of Journalism for 33 years. Before joining the faculty, she was a reporter and editor for The Greenville News, The State, and The Columbia Record. She has written 15 books, including Elizabeth & Ann Timothy: America’s First Female Journalists in Colonial and Revolutionary War Times, Historic South Carolina Ghosts and Legends, and Edgar Allen Poe in South Carolina.