I can think of no better way to mark July 4th than by watching a new film about the author of “America the Beautiful,” Katharine Lee Bates, an educator and social reformer who saw both our country’s beauty and its flaws—and whose loving partner of 25 years was another woman.
Bates, born in Falmouth, Massachusetts, in 1859, was an activist and reformer, a teacher and writer. She became an English professor at Wellesley College, her alma mater (and mine). There, she met economics professor Katharine Coman, who would become her life partner. Bates also advocated for world peace and the League of Nations and she and Coman helped organize a settlement house for immigrants and college women in Boston. Coman, for her part, was also a social welfare activist and was friends with settlement activist, reformer, and social worker Jane Addams, who also had relationships with other women.
From Sea to Shining Sea, directed by John de Graaf, tells the story of Bates and the poem (now song) for which she is best known. The 37-minute film tells Bates’ story through a lightly fictionalized first-person narration (voiced by Kate Udall). The film’s website explains, “Katharine Lee Bates was a patriot who loved her country, but wanted it to live up to its ideals and correct its flaws.” It continues:
Her story should not be forgotten, nor its context. The first words of the song came to Bates as she surveyed the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains from the broad summit of Colorado’s Pike’s Peak on July 22, 1893. It is a tale that does not ignore the fact that the United States has often not lived up to its promises and ideals, yet it honors the unbroken chain of Americans who, honoring those ideals and loving their country deeply, strived to make it all it can be.
How appropriate for our current moment.
The film’s focus is on Bates’ development as a writer and activist and how this manifested itself in her most famous poem—but it does mention Coman as “my beloved Katharine.” After Coman’s death from breast cancer, Bates says in the film, “I consoled myself by writing poems, honoring the partner who brought me so much joy.”
I’ve written more about Bates and Coman and the letters and poems that show the depth of their relationship; I hope you’ll go read that piece as well, if you haven’t already. While they didn’t use the word “queer” themselves (or any other modern term for queer identities), I think it is easy to see them as part of the queer umbrella in its broadest sense. A recent article in the Boston Globe also sheds light on Bates’ life and on the house she shared with Coman that still stands.
I’ll mention, too, that journalist (and fellow Wellesley alumna) Lynn Sherr wrote a good 2012 New York Times piece that looks at Bates’ social activism and notes that she was also “a rebel against religious dogma.” Sherr shares that Bates was “born and bred a Republican, but in 1924 her presidential vote went to John W. Davis, the candidate who supported the League of Nations, which she saw as ‘our one hope of peace on earth.’ Davis was a Democrat.” Perhaps Bates can also be an icon for those similarly disillusioned with the Republican party today.
I had the pleasure of attending the premiere of From Sea to Shining Sea last year at Wellesley, and am delighted that it is now available to stream for just a few dollars, or free with ads (and for educators). You can also purchase a DVD. (I am simply passing on the information and do not receive anything if you rent or purchase.)
For those considering showing it to their children: I think it would be fine to watch with teens and some tweens; a few (non-descriptive) references to torture and slaughter during wars in Bates’ time may make it less appropriate for younger children—who may also just be bored since it is geared for adults. Review it yourself first if you have any questions and use your own judgment. (For younger children, check out the picture book For Spacious Skies: Katharine Lee Bates and the Inspiration for “America the Beautiful,” by Nancy Churnin, a lovely story that discusses her work towards peace and social reform. It notes that Bates and Coman shared a home, but says only that theirs was “a close companionship,” which feels less than satisfactory; adults may want to clarify that they loved each other.)
Watch a trailer below—and perhaps take some inspiration with you as our nation marks its 250th anniversary and many of us hope its flaws can still be mended.