Fanny Wright and the Radical Courage of Being Real: The Forgotten Woman Who Pioneered Scientific Thinking and Free Love in America

The essay titled "Fanny Wright and the Radical Courage of Being Real: The Forgotten Woman Who Pioneered Scientific Thinking and Free Love in America" is adapted from Traversal. It discusses how, just before eleven-year-old Walt Whitman dropped out of school to start his first job, his parents subscribed to the radical paper The Free Enquirer. This paper was inspired by The Enquirer published by radical philosopher William Godwin, who was Mary Shelley’s father. The prospectus of The Free Enquirer stated that it would approach discussions of sacred doctrines without apprehension and would not treat extravagant expressions with contempt.