Mary Katherine Goddard: A Revolutionary Printer and Patriot

In the pantheon of American Revolutionary heroes, many names

shine brightly in the historical record. Yet some of the most

remarkable contributors to American independence remain lesser

known, their achievements overshadowed by more prominent

figures. Mary Katherine Goddard stands as one such revolutionary, a

woman whose courage, business acumen, and unwavering

dedication to the patriot cause made her an indispensable figure

during America's founding era.

Born on June 16, 1738, in New London, Connecticut, Mary Katherine

Goddard would become one of colonial America's most successful

publishers, the first female postmaster in the colonies, and the only

woman whose name appears on the Declaration of Independence.

Her story is one of resilience, innovation, and quiet defiance of the

limitations placed on women in eighteenth-century America.