Famous Women in History: Stagecoach Mary: Fearless Old West Mail Carrier

The remarkable true-life story of one of the greatest pioneers - and women - in American history. Known as Stagecoach Mary, Mary Fields was born into slavery in the late 1800s in Tennessee. A tall, sturdy girl by the age of 14, Mary was ordered to work in the cotton fields performing heavy labor with boys and men. After the 13th amendment was proclaimed, ending slavery, Mary worked a variety of jobs including chambermaid on a steamboat and as a helping hand at a convent in Ohio and later at a missionary school in the dangerous Montana territory. She then became the second woman, and the first African American woman, to be hired as a U.S. Postal worker, earning her the name of Stagecoach Mary. Contextual side stories offer further perspective on key details, locations, and people referenced in Mary's story. Archival photographs, drawings, and paintings are chronologically arranged, adding visual context to her compelling story, as well as the inclusion of further reading and website recommendations, maps, glossary, and index. Content developed for young readers, interest level grades 4-6 (reading level, grade 5).