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Agatha Biddle
IntoThinAir: +Category:1797 births; +Category:1873 deaths using HotCat
'''Agatha de LaVigne Biddle''' (1797-1873) was a woman of mixed [[Odawa]], [[Anishinaabe|Anishnaabe]], and French heritage, who primarily identified with her Odawa kin.<ref name=":1" /> She resided on [[Mackinac Island]] during the [[North American fur trade|fur trade]] era and after.<ref name=":1"></ref> She acted as a partner with her husband in running their fur trade business and<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> Biddle known as a shrewd businesswoman.<ref>Lavey, Kathleen. "Mackinac Island Restores Its Native American History." Lansing State Journal, https://ift.tt/2C6E69b. Accessed 9 Oct. 2018.
</ref> She was pivotal in the negotiations of the 1855 [[Treaty of Detroit]] and Her kinship connections aided the Biddle's in their business, and Biddle is also reportedly to have hosted functions and aided needy local children.<ref name=":1" /> The home she shared with her husband, independent fur trader Edward Biddle, known as [[Biddle House (Mackinac Island)|Biddle House]], still stands on Mackinac Island.<ref name=":0">"Agatha Biddle To Be Inducted Into Michigan Women's Hall of Fame." Mackinac Island Town Crier, https://ift.tt/2CyqYdN. Accessed 9 Oct. 2018.
</ref> Agatha Biddle will be inducted into the [[Michigan Women's Hall of Fame|Michigan Women's Hall of Fame]] in on October 18th, 2018.<ref name=":0" /><ref>"5 to Be Inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame." Detroit News, https://ift.tt/2OeThEs. Accessed 9 Oct. 2018.
</ref>
== Early life ==
Biddle was born Agatha de LaVigne. Her mother was Marie Lefevre de La Vigne and her father was Kougowma (or Kiogima), also called La Vigne of the Odawa people. After the death of Agatha's father, her mother married [[Joseph Bailly]], a fur trader of French descent originally from Nova Scotia who came to some prominence.<ref name=":3">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> They lived in the Mackinac area and Agatha continued to have a close relationship with her mother after her marriage.<ref name=":3" />
==Marriage and family==
Edward Biddle arrived on Mackinac Island shortly after the conclusion of the War of 1812 and it is after this date that Agatha and Edward married.<ref name=":3" /> By marrying Agatha, Biddle made a connection to the prominent Bailly fur trading family. Details of their wedding were recorded, and guests included many prominent members of Mackinac society, including [[Magdelaine Laframboise|Madeline La Framboise]]. Agatha and her mother were recorded by contemporary Elisabeth Baird as wearing the traditional dress of the Métis women of the area at the wedding. This included layers of broadcloth, leggings, moccasins, ribbons and beads, all elaborately embroidered.<ref>Farrell Racette, Sherry. Sewing Ourselves Together : Clothing, Decorative Arts and the Expression of Metis and Half Breed Identity. Aug. 2004. mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca, https://ift.tt/2CxIOOi.
</ref> Biddle continued to wear traditional clothing through her life.<ref name=":3" /> Jaffary notes the marriage of Edward and Agatha was unusual for the time. While it was typical for Métis women to marry outside their home community, Edward Biddle was an English-speaking, Protestant American in a community that was primarily Indigenous and French Canadian.<ref name=":3" /> Together Agatha and Edward Biddle had seven children: Sophia, John, Sarah and Mary and together they built their business.<ref name=":2">Billock, Jennifer. Ghosts of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Arcadia Publishing, 2018.
</ref><ref name=":3" /> Their youngest daughter Mary died at the age of eight after falling through the ice while travelling between Mackinac Island and St. Ignace and her grave is the oldest in the St. Ann cemetery.<ref name=":2" />
==Fur trade and later life on Mackinac==
During the early period of the fur trade the Mackinac and surrounded area were primarily inhabited by First Nations people, but by the middle of the nineteenth century their numbers were greatly reduced due to war, including the [[War of 1812]], and treaties which saw many of the local Odawa and [[Anishinaabe]] people relocated to tiny parcels of land. Biddle was made chief of the Mackinac band in the mid 1800s.<ref> Mackinac State Historic Parks|website=www.mackinacparks.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-10-09}}</ref>
Biddle took on a number of community roles, including taking in sick or orphaned Odawa and Anishnaabe children and offering food and other charity.<ref name=":3" /> She is recorded as serving as undertaker on the Island and supplied coffins and carrying out burial services.<ref name=":3" />
Biddle is cited as an example of the way Metis women used their connections between local First Nations communities as well as settler communities to advantage in the fur trade society of the Great Lakes.<ref name=":3" /> Jaffary notes that there is archeological evidence to support the fact that Biddle worked with birch bark, as well as engaging in quill work and basketry.<ref name=":3" />
== References ==
[[Category:1797 births]]
[[Category:1873 deaths]]
</ref> She was pivotal in the negotiations of the 1855 [[Treaty of Detroit]] and Her kinship connections aided the Biddle's in their business, and Biddle is also reportedly to have hosted functions and aided needy local children.<ref name=":1" /> The home she shared with her husband, independent fur trader Edward Biddle, known as [[Biddle House (Mackinac Island)|Biddle House]], still stands on Mackinac Island.<ref name=":0">"Agatha Biddle To Be Inducted Into Michigan Women's Hall of Fame." Mackinac Island Town Crier, https://ift.tt/2CyqYdN. Accessed 9 Oct. 2018.
</ref> Agatha Biddle will be inducted into the [[Michigan Women's Hall of Fame|Michigan Women's Hall of Fame]] in on October 18th, 2018.<ref name=":0" /><ref>"5 to Be Inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame." Detroit News, https://ift.tt/2OeThEs. Accessed 9 Oct. 2018.
</ref>
== Early life ==
Biddle was born Agatha de LaVigne. Her mother was Marie Lefevre de La Vigne and her father was Kougowma (or Kiogima), also called La Vigne of the Odawa people. After the death of Agatha's father, her mother married [[Joseph Bailly]], a fur trader of French descent originally from Nova Scotia who came to some prominence.<ref name=":3">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> They lived in the Mackinac area and Agatha continued to have a close relationship with her mother after her marriage.<ref name=":3" />
==Marriage and family==
Edward Biddle arrived on Mackinac Island shortly after the conclusion of the War of 1812 and it is after this date that Agatha and Edward married.<ref name=":3" /> By marrying Agatha, Biddle made a connection to the prominent Bailly fur trading family. Details of their wedding were recorded, and guests included many prominent members of Mackinac society, including [[Magdelaine Laframboise|Madeline La Framboise]]. Agatha and her mother were recorded by contemporary Elisabeth Baird as wearing the traditional dress of the Métis women of the area at the wedding. This included layers of broadcloth, leggings, moccasins, ribbons and beads, all elaborately embroidered.<ref>Farrell Racette, Sherry. Sewing Ourselves Together : Clothing, Decorative Arts and the Expression of Metis and Half Breed Identity. Aug. 2004. mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca, https://ift.tt/2CxIOOi.
</ref> Biddle continued to wear traditional clothing through her life.<ref name=":3" /> Jaffary notes the marriage of Edward and Agatha was unusual for the time. While it was typical for Métis women to marry outside their home community, Edward Biddle was an English-speaking, Protestant American in a community that was primarily Indigenous and French Canadian.<ref name=":3" /> Together Agatha and Edward Biddle had seven children: Sophia, John, Sarah and Mary and together they built their business.<ref name=":2">Billock, Jennifer. Ghosts of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Arcadia Publishing, 2018.
</ref><ref name=":3" /> Their youngest daughter Mary died at the age of eight after falling through the ice while travelling between Mackinac Island and St. Ignace and her grave is the oldest in the St. Ann cemetery.<ref name=":2" />
==Fur trade and later life on Mackinac==
During the early period of the fur trade the Mackinac and surrounded area were primarily inhabited by First Nations people, but by the middle of the nineteenth century their numbers were greatly reduced due to war, including the [[War of 1812]], and treaties which saw many of the local Odawa and [[Anishinaabe]] people relocated to tiny parcels of land. Biddle was made chief of the Mackinac band in the mid 1800s.<ref> Mackinac State Historic Parks|website=www.mackinacparks.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-10-09}}</ref>
Biddle took on a number of community roles, including taking in sick or orphaned Odawa and Anishnaabe children and offering food and other charity.<ref name=":3" /> She is recorded as serving as undertaker on the Island and supplied coffins and carrying out burial services.<ref name=":3" />
Biddle is cited as an example of the way Metis women used their connections between local First Nations communities as well as settler communities to advantage in the fur trade society of the Great Lakes.<ref name=":3" /> Jaffary notes that there is archeological evidence to support the fact that Biddle worked with birch bark, as well as engaging in quill work and basketry.<ref name=":3" />
== References ==
[[Category:1797 births]]
[[Category:1873 deaths]]
October 09, 2018 at 12:50PM
