Anna Hanson Dorsey ( ; 12 December 1815 – 25 December 1896) was an American novelist known for her contributions to Catholic literature in the 19th century. Born in Georgetown,

Washington, D.C Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

., she was raised Protestant but later converted to Catholicism, which influenced much of her writing. Dorsey authored more than 40 novels that explored themes of faith, religious conversion, and Southern Catholic life. Her works received recognition from prominent Catholic figures, including commendations from two popes, and she was awarded the

Laetare Medal The Laetare Medal is an annual award given by the University of Notre Dame in recognition of outstanding service to the Catholic Church and society. The award is given to an American Catholic or group of Catholics "whose genius has ennobled the ar ...

by the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...

. Dorsey's novels have continued to be appreciated for their storytelling and portrayal of American Catholic culture.

Life

Anna Hanson Dorsey was born Anna McKenney in December 1815, in Georgetown,

. She was the daughter of Rev. William McKenney, a Protestant clergyman and chaplain in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

, and Chloe Ann Lanigan McKenney.Evening Star. (1896, December 26). ''Evening star''. Page 7. Dorsey's great-grandfather, was Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Hanson of Green Hill. Dorsey was raised in a Protestant family, and she converted to

Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

during her youth. In 1837, at the age of twenty-four, she married Lorenzo Dorsey of

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

, son of Judge Owen Dorsey. Shortly after their marriage, the couple converted to the Catholic faith.''The Pilot''. (1897, January 2). ''Volume 60, Number 1''. Retrieved from https://newspapers.bc.edu/?a=d&d=pilot18970102-01.2.21&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN------- Their son was mortally wounded while serving for the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Unio ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, reportedly while planting the American flag on the ramparts of Fort Hill. She had three daughters, one of them,

Ella Loraine Dorsey Ella Loraine Dorsey (pen name, E. L. Dorsey; March 2, 1853 – November 4, 1935) was an American author, journalist, and translator. She contributed articles to magazines and wrote many stories, among them ''Midshipman Bob'', ''Jet, the War Mule'' ...

, later became a recognized author. The eldest daughter, Clara H. Muhun, was a prominent figure and one of the earliest members in the

Literary Society of Washington The Literary Society of Washington was formed in 1874 by a group of friends and associates who wished to meet regularly for "literary and artistic improvement and entertainment". - page 3 For more than 140 years, this literary society has convene ...

. Despite her Southern roots, Dorsey and her family were strong advocates for

emancipation Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure Economic, social and cultural rights, economic and social rights, civil and political rights, po ...

and opposed

secession Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...

during the Civil War.

Writing career

Following her conversion to Catholicism, Dorsey dedicated herself to writing Catholic literature, primarily focusing on stories and novels, though she also composed some poetry. Her body of work includes poetry, novels, and drama, with notable titles such as ''May Brooke'' (1856), ''The Oriental Pearl'' (1857), ''Warp and Woof'' (1887), and ''Palms'' (1887). She worked alongside contemporaries such as Mrs. Sadlier, Dr.

Charles Constantine Pise Charles Constantine Pise (November 22, 1801 – May 26, 1866) was an American Roman Catholic priest and writer. Born in Annapolis, Maryland, on 22 November 1801, "the son of an Italian father and a mother who came from an old Philadelphia family ...

, Charles James Cannon, John D. Bryant, and Dr. J. V. Huntington in promoting Catholic-themed works.

Patrick Donahoe Patrick Donahoe (born Munnery, County Cavan, Ireland, 17 March 1811; died Boston, U.S.A., 18 March 1901) was a publisher who founded influential magazines for the Irish Catholic community in his adopted country. Early life Patrick Donahoe was b ...

, the founder of ''The Pilot'', was among the first Catholic publishers to recognize her talent, compensating her for her contributions. Many of her early serialized stories appeared in ''The Pilot'', while her later works were frequently featured in ''Ave Maria''. One of her final stories, "Sadie’s Knight," was serialized shortly before her passing. Dorsey's body of work includes notable titles such as ''Woodreve Manor'', ''Tangled Paths'', ''The Old Gray Rosary'', ''Palms'', ''Ada’s Trust'', ''Adrift'', ''Beth’s Promise'', ''The Heiress of Carrigona'', ''The Old House at Glouster'', ''A Brave Girl'', ''Fate of the Dane'', ''Warp and Woof'', and ''The Student of Blenheim Forest''. Her first major success, ''Woodreve Manor'', explored the life within a Catholic Indian mission. This novel was dramatized twice and translated into multiple languages, including Hindi. Her novels often depicted the older, affluent, and more leisurely lifestyle of Southern Catholics, contrasting with

Mary Anne Sadlier Mary Anne Sadlier (31 December 1820 – 5 April 1903) was an Irish-Canadian author. Sadlier published roughly twenty-three novels and numerous stories. She wrote for Irish immigrants in both the United States and Canada, encouraging them to a ...

’s focus on the struggles of Irish immigrants in Northern states. Dorsey’s writing was characterized by vivid storytelling and strong character development. Beyond their romantic appeal, her works serve as realistic portraits of a past era in American life. According to ''The National Quarterly Review'', she was welcomed and contributed to periodicals such as '' The True Woman.''

Death and legacy

By 1893, Dorsey had become an invalid and was living with her children in Washington, D.C.Willard, F. E., & Livermore, M. A. (Eds.). (1893). ''A woman of the century: Fourteen hundred-seventy biographical sketches accompanied by portraits of leading American women in all walks of life''. Charles Wells Moulton. Retrieved from https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Woman_of_the_Century/Anna_Hanson_Dorsey Anna Hanson Dorsey passed away on Christmas Day at her home in Washington, surrounded by her daughters and receiving the Sacraments of the Church. According to ''The Pilot,'' her novels have continued to resonate with readers, influencing generations of Catholic literature.

Awards and recognition

Throughout her career, Dorsey received several accolades, including letters of commendation from Popes Pius IX and

Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the A ...

. In 1850, the

awarded her the prestigious

in recognition of her contributions to Catholic literature, also in education and religion. The

Catholic University of America Press The Catholic University of America Press, also known as CUA Press, is the publishing division of The Catholic University of America. Founded on November 14, 1939 and incorporated on July 16, 1941, the CUA Press is a long-time member of the Associ ...

recognizes Dorsey as one of the nearly forgotten, yet significant, women Catholic writers. Dorsey is featured in the biographical compilation ''

A Woman of the Century ''A Woman of the Century: Fourteen Hundred Seventy Biographical Sketches, Accompanied by Portraits of Leading American Women, in all Walks of Life'' is a compendium of biographical sketches of American women. It was published in 1893 by Charles We ...

'', which includes prominent American women across various fields. Edited by Frances E. Willard and

Mary A. Livermore Mary Ashton Livermore ( Rice; December 19, 1820May 23, 1905) was an American journalist, Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist, and advocate of women's rights. Her printed volumes included: ''Thirty Years Too Late,'' first published ...

, the volume was published by

Charles Wells Moulton Charles Wells Moulton (1859 – March 17, 1913) was an American poet, critic, editor, and publisher. He was the founding editor of '' The Magazine of Poetry and Literary Review'', and the publisher of ''A Woman of the Century'' (1893). Early life ...

in 1893.

Selected works

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dorsey, Anna Hanson 1815 births 1896 deaths 19th-century American novelists 19th-century American women writers 19th-century Roman Catholics American Roman Catholic writers American women novelists Catholics from Washington, D.C. Converts to Roman Catholicism Laetare Medal recipients Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century