Charlotte Anna Perkins was born on July 3, 1860
in Hartford, Connecticut. Soon after her birth, her
father Frederick left the family. Charlotte, her
mother Mary, and brother Thomas were forced to
move every year, as they struggled to manage on
the limited funds he provided while the children
were growing up. Following the example of her
mother's determination to cope with these
circumstances, Charlotte sought independence
early in life.
Courtesy Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University
Charlotte's home while studying at the Rhode Island School of Design, 1870s
Courtesy Schlesinger Library,
Radcliffe Institute,
Harvard University
Rhode Island School of Design, 1890s
Courtesy Rhode Island School of Design Archives
Charles Walter Stetson, Charlotte's first husband, 1880
Charlotte was a creative child and began writing
and drawing at an early age. In 1878 she
enrolled at the Rhode Island School of Design
to study art. When she was twenty-one,
she met the artist Walter Stetson. Although
she initially rebuffed his proposal, they
married in 1884.
Courtesy Schlesinger Library,
Radcliffe Institute,
Harvard University
Charlotte's daughter,
Katharine Stetson, 1887
A year later, the couple had a daughter, Katharine Beecher Stetson. After her birth, Charlotte began to experience episodes of depression. She resented
the narrow confines of married life and motherhood, and like many other
women of her era, longed for greater intellectual and creative fulfillment.
Her husband, however, insisted on a more traditional marriage, and she became increasingly despondent.
Courtesy Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute,
Harvard University
