Among the various intellectual circles that were active in eighteenth-century London, the Bluestocking Society was specially known for its dynamic female members even though men participated as well. Between 1750 and 1812, female writers and thinkers interacted with each other, forging social and intellectual bonds through letters and poems. Some of the famous Bluestocking women that this seminar will focus on are Elizabeth Montagu, Elizabeth Carter, Hester Chapone and Elisabeth Vesey. We shall look at what "Bluestocking" means, how these women maintained friendships and cultivated an intellectual female community which was one of its kind. The connection between the women and the Enlightenment period will also be highly relevant as they shaped "Bluestocking ideals" at a time when important political changes were happening. We shall equally look at how the society was potentially at the roots of feminist thought.
- Lehrende(r): Chandni Rampersad