The Journal of Madam Knight

The Journal of Madam Knight is the travel diary of Sarah Kemble Knight, who in the winter of 1704–1705 undertook a five-month journey on horseback from Boston to New Haven and New York City. As one of the few surviving examples of women’s writing from early colonial America, her journal offers rich insights into the social history of the period, including detailed observations on gender roles, class distinctions, and race relations. Knight’s narrative is notable for its candid, often comedic style and vivid descriptions of the challenges of travel on rough colonial roads, the customs of various communities, and her interactions with people of differing social standings. The journal also reflects Knight’s merchant-class perspective and her complex attitudes toward race, including her views on slavery and the social hierarchies of the time. Though not published until 1825, it has become an important historical text for understanding early 18th-century American society and women’s travel writing.