 Her father was an educated man who believed in the importance of educating women, which lead to her passion for women's rights.She was extensively educated in languages, history, theology, and literature.In "Reminiscences and Traditions of Boston", she recounted how as a teenager in 1775 she had hidden letters written by her father under her clothing, smuggled them out of British-occupied Boston, and delivered them to Joseph Warren, a leader of the rebel forces.