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Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Preferred Citation

Sarah A. Ballard Journal, 1850-1858, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Scope and Contents

This journal begins in Hartford, CT when Sarah Ballard begins her training to become a teacher. She writes almost exclusively about visiting local schools and of lectures she hears related to the teaching profession. Much of the first portion of her journal is dedicated to understanding different teaching philosophies. She details her approaches to teaching arithmetic, spelling, singing, and grammar. She also addressing religion and attending church services. Ballard gives some description of her area near Hartford and mentions visiting the Athanaeum and Charter Oak. She also writes about the establishment of a "Deaf and Dumb Asylum". The second part of the journal is written 8 years after the first and picks up as Ballard departs from Boston for San Francisco via sea travel. She records her arduous and foul weather journey which added immense time to her travel around Cape Horn. She mentioned many marine animals that she saw including penguins, porpoises, whales, and sharks and comments often on the length of time of her journey. Her last entry in the journal is a comment regarding the dwindling water supply on board the ship.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Arithmetic--Study and teaching
• Barry Scott Antiquarian and Rare Books
• Curriculum--Education
• Ocean travel
• Teachers--Diaries
• Women teachers--United States--History--19th century
• Women--Travel