Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

1   Girlhood in Boston (1816-1829)

2   For the Good of the Family (1829-1835)

3   Finding a Place in New Orleans (1835-1836)

4   Debut in New York (1836)

5   Testing Time in Albany (1836-1837)

6   Walking Lady at the Park (1837-1838)

7   "Miss Cushman and her Sister" (1838-1840)

8   An Artist's Growth in Philadelphia (1840-1842)

9   A Woman's Heart and Mr. Macready (1842-1843)

10   Facing A Major Decision (1843-1844)

11   An American Comes to London (1844-1845)

12   The Fruits of English Victory (1845)

13   A Star in the Provinces (1845)

14   "A Very Dangerous Young Man" (1846)

15   Friendships and Grief in England (1846-1847)

16   "The Greatest Melodramatic Actress in the World" (1847-1848)

17   Time to Go West (1849)

18   "Hurray for Our Charlotte" (1849)

19   A Queen's Progress (1849-1850)

20   The Heart's Conviction and Early Retirement (1850-1852)

21   Dolce Far Niente in Rome (1852-1853)

22   Work and Idleness (1853-1857)

23   Artist and Businesswoman (1857-1858)

24   At Home in Rome (1858-1860)

25   Alarums of War and Mr. Seward (1860-1861)

26   A Woman's Power in the National Struggle (1861-1863)

27   A Hunger for Home (1864-1865)

28   Vague Foreboding (1865-1869)

29   The Blessings of Labor (1870-1871)

30   "To Dare and Do and Be" (1871-1874)

31   Farewell Miss Cushman (1874)

32   Sidney Lanier and Cushla (1875)

33   "The Queen, My Lord, Is Dead" (1876)

Epilogue   The Passion and the Power

Illustrations

1   Charlotte Cushman as Lady Macbeth

2   Page from New York Daily Graphic

3   Charlotte Cushman 1843

4   Charlotte Cushman 1845

5   Charlotte and Susan Cushman as Romeo and Juliet

6   Charlotte Cushman as Mrs. Haller

7   Charlotte Cushman as Meg Merrilies

8   Charlotte Cushman 1853

9   Charlotte Cushman about 1856

10   Charlotte Cushman as Platform Reader about 1875

11   Charlotte Cushman in the Hall of Fame

Reference Matter

Bibliographical Note

Abbreviations

Notes