Elizabeth Montagu's Political Sociability

This essay examines the political dimension of Elizabeth Montagu's correspondence with her husband, Edward, as well as with George, Lord Lyttelton, and William Pulteney, Lord Bath, between the years 1742 and 1763. Like many elite women of the eighteenth century, Montagu assisted in her husband's political career through sociable interaction. As Montagu developed political ideas and interests beyond the scope of Edward's direct parliamentary concerns, she found an outlet for expression through her friendships with Lyttelton and Bath. Through the medium of letter writing, Montagu was able to maintain a pose of feminine modesty while at the same time conveying her opinions about public affairs. This essay argues that by using conventional language and traditional female social spaces, Montagu attempted to create a political identity and to imagine herself part of the political nation. In "'The Commerce of Life': Elizabeth Montagu (1718–1800)," ed. Nicole Pohl, special issue, http://muse.jhu.edu/issue/39838/print