Reading Between the Silences in the Correspondence of Esther Edwards Burr and Sarah Prince

Abstract:Esther Edwards Burr's correspondence with Sarah Prince was an expression of close friendship and a means for each woman to encourage the other to maintaining her religious devotion. As the daughter of Jonathan Edwards and the wife of Aaron Burr, Sr., it was especially paramount that Esther Edwards Burr maintain a strict relationship with God. She was expected to excel at her domestic duties, including motherhood and hosting many of her husband's Princeton colleagues. Unfortunately, only Burr's half of the letters survive, which provides some insight into the little that is known about her life and personality. However, this paper considers how Prince's silence provides insight into more of Burr's character, especially in her perceived role as a mentor and maternal figure to Prince. Burr's letters can help us better understand the complex power dynamics that exist in correspondence when only one half of the conversation remains.