Blue Ridge Country July/August 2022 - 54

pamphleteer Reverend Greatrake declared that Royall
" may be rude, very rude ... but she has more intellectual
energy and more moral courage than a 1,000 of her bitterest
prosecutors. "
Royall's stances earned her powerful enemies, ones
who ultimately gave her a new distinction-the only U.S.
woman to be tried and convicted for being a " common
scold. " In 1829, Royall criticized Washington, D.C. for
blurring the lines between church and state by allowing
evangelists to use the fire hall for services. The congregation
visited Royall's house to harangue her. Royall cursed
at them and was promptly arrested.
She was tried and convicted for being a " public nuiThe
Anne
Royall
historical
marker is in
Sweet Springs,
West Virginia,
in Monroe
County, at the
intersection of
Kanawha Trail
(W.Va. 311)
and Jefferson
Lane.
tained her editorials, letters to the editor and her responses,
and advertisements. It was published until 1836,
when it was succeeded by her somewhat more polished
newspaper, The Huntress. Royall hired orphans to set
the type and faced constant financial woes, exacerbated
when postmasters refused to deliver issues to subscribers.
Royall was a fearsome figure to many politicians, a
whistleblower on corruption, fraudulent land schemes
and banking scandals. She was critical of the powerful
evangelical movement sweeping the country and harangued
her readers about keeping religion separate
from government. She felt strongly about sound money,
the abolition of flogging in the Navy and ultimately
a free press.
Royall's admirers respected her, sting and all. Baptist
sance, a common brawler and a common scold. " Although
a dunking stool was set up outside, the court
commuted her sentence to a $10 fine-she was over 60
and it was winter. Two Washington reporters paid her
penalty.
Royall died at 85 in 1854, bringing an end to her
30-year news career. Contrary to popular lore, she was
not the first American female editor, just the first selfsupporting
one. Several hundred women editors and
printers took the reins of newspapers before 1820, but
every one of them inherited her role from ill, deceased
or incarcerated husbands. Royall was probably the most
notorious female editor of her day, and she was certainly
the only one who could claim to be a self-made
female newspaper publisher.
Over 250 Food &
Craft Vendors!
Carnival Games
ANNUAL
MOUNTAIN CITY
Imagination Library
Book Bus
Free Inflatables in the Fun Zone
Sponsored by Parkdale
Live Entertainment
* Cameron Clawson
* Twirling Twins
* Jigsaw Jane Band
Annual Memorial
Deputy Allen Lipford
Car/Truck/Bike Show
Little Miss/Mr Sunflower Pageant
Directed by Miss Memphis, Deanna Grier
W. Main Street,
Mountain City, Tennessee
July, 9th, 2022
9am to 4pm
Visit our Facebook page for more details facebook.com/mctn.sunflowerfestival
Sunflower
Festival
54 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
http://www.facebook.com/mctn.sunflowerfestival http://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2022

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