When did people begin seeking anonymous advice for their most profound personal dilemmas?

What can the answers to their early questions tell us about the emotional lives of people in the past?

We’re traveling back in time to 1690s England to explore the world’s first personal advice column, The Athenian Mercury. This two-sided broadsheet publication invited readers to send in questions about anything–from science and religion to love and marriage– and its creators, a small group of Londoners who dubbed themselves the “Athenian Society,” answered these queries with a surprising blend of wit, morality, and insight.

Joining us for this investigation is Mary Beth Norton, the Mary Donlon Alger Professor Emerita at Cornell University and an award-winning historian who is a trailblazer in the field of early American women's history. She's also the author of “I Humbly Beg Your Speedy Answer”: Letters on Love & Marriage from the World's First Personal Advice Column.

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Mary Beth Norton is the Mary Donlon Alger Professor Emerita at Cornell University. She’s an award-winning historian who has served as the President of the American Historical Association, she’s also a pioneer in the field of women’s history. She joins us today to explore love, marriage, and courtship through her book, “I Humbly Beg Your Speedy Answer: Letters on Love & Marriage from the World's First Personal Advice Column.

During our exploration, Mary Beth reveals why the 1690s were ripe for the invention of a personal advice column. What readers’ anonymous questions tell us about gender, love, marriage, and courtship in the late seventeenth century. And, how the Athenians’ seventeenth-century advice echoes many of the same concerns we still write to columnists about today.

In your opinion, what might have happened if the world’s first personal advice column had originated in British North America instead of in England? What differences might we have seen in this hypothetical American version?

Episode 094: Founding Friendships

Topic Request Form

BFW Gazette Newsletter

Liz on Bluesky

Enjoy the Podcast? Follow it!

|

Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

Ben Franklin’s World is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. To advertise on Ben Franklin's World contact [email protected].

The post Episode 410: Mary Beth Norton, The World’s First Personal Advice Column appeared first on Ben Franklin's World.