Summary of Broadus Unbound
Called by the famed Charles Spurgeon “the greatest of living preachers,” John A. Broadus left an indelible signature not only on the Baptist denomination but on a generation. Emerging from the US Civil War as a voice of reason and reconciliation, he traveled, wrote, and tirelessly trained clergy for the urgencies of his time. Compiled by direct descendant Betsy Reeder and based on the words of Broadus and his intimates, Broadus Unbound (Resource Publications 2023) reveals a complex and unforgettable personality, ablaze with unshakable faith and indomitable willpower. The biography includes never-before-published letters preserved for five generations by the family. Combined with other nineteenth-century writings, the result is an unveiling of the man and his world unlike any previously offered.
Interview
Donna Meredith: Betsy, I understand you are a descendant of John Broadus. Could you tell us about your family connection?
Betsy Reeder: John Broadus was my mother’s great-grandfather, which makes him my great-great. He died before Mom was born, but she learned a lot about him from her maternal grandmother, Broadus’s youngest daughter Ella, who lived almost her entire life in Louisville, Kentucky, and maintained a close connection with the Baptist seminary where her father taught. This connection was greatly enhanced by her marriage to a seminary professor, who, as one of my cousin’s put it, “found it convenient to marry his boss’s daughter.”
DM: What else besides the family connection inspired you to write about this man? Please share what you feel are John Broadus’s most significant contributions to American history.
Betsy Reeder
BR: My inspiration came from finding among my mother’s papers a manilla envelope labeled “Miss Lottie Letters.” At that time, I had no idea who “Miss Lottie” was. The letters were courtship letters written by Broadus in 1858. Their passion and eloquence moved me and made me want to know the man who wrote them.
I find it difficult to describe the contributions of John A. Broadus. He was very well known and greatly loved and admired, which gave him a lot of influence. He used that influence to help reunite the North and South after the Civil War. He used it to inspire a generation of Baptist clergy. He used it to publish books and articles of theological commentary. (Incredibly, his On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons is still in print.) Maybe most importantly, he used it in deeply personal ways that made those around him believe in their potential and strive to improve themselves. Historically speaking, he is known by Baptists as one of the founding fathers of their first seminary in the South, a task far more difficult than I can wrap my head around.
DM: How long did you work on this book?
BR: I can’t give an exact figure, but I worked on it off and on for several years. It didn’t start to come together for me until I was in Covid lockdown (2020).
DM: What research was required for the writing of this story? How much of the material was passed down to you and how much came from outside sources that you had to discover?
BR: A lot of research! I made two trips to Louisville to dig through the Archives (of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary). I also used published materials, including two books written by Baptist theologians about Broadus and a biography published in 1901.
In addition to the “Miss Lottie Letters,” I discovered that my mother had saved a stack of “Maria Letters” (courtship letters to John’s first wife) and several other letters. She also saved photographs from the Broadus family album. In addition, I had the great pleasure of getting to know a third cousin (Neal Broadus Abraham) who has an absolute treasure trove of material and was exceptionally generous about sharing.
I’d guess about twenty percent of the material I used was preserved and passed down by the family.
Donna Meredith
DM: Broadus married again after his first wife died, but his letters led me to believe the second marriage was not one of convenience to provide a mother for his children, but rather that he did indeed love Lottie as much as he had Maria. Did his wives share any similarities? Differences?
BR: That’s such an interesting question! Both women were unusually well-educated for their time, and both came from more affluent families than John’s. Both were very proud of their husband. But I think they were more different than alike. Maria’s warmth contrasted with Lottie’s reserve, and Maria was probably much less introverted than Lottie, who always sought opportunities for solitude and books.
DM: Could you talk a little about his loves and his family life?
BR: I would suggest that Broadus’ greatest loves were for God and his faith, for learning, and for his family and friends, in that order. He had a burning desire to be “useful,” which I think was his way of saying “to be of service to God.”
His passion for learning probably bordered on obsession. As an example, he mastered multiple languages beyond Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, and he undertook Sanskrit late in life.
Although he adored his wives and children, he didn’t have a lot of time for them. One daughter wrote that Christmas Day was the only day the family had him all to itself. Broadus once wrote Lottie that (I paraphrase) many women had better husbands, but they didn’t have husbands who loved them more than he loved his wife. He did take a great interest in his children’s activities and education, and reportedly would readily set aside his work to address his children’s questions. One daughter commented, though, that when that rare moment came to ask her father some weighty question she could hardly bear to interrupt his few minutes of peace.
DM: Even though he was a fine upstanding man, I would have found it difficult to be married to him. What challenges do you think his wives faced?
BR: The biggest challenge was probably his absence. He traveled constantly and also served as a chaplain during the Civil War. If he wasn’t giving a talk, he was supplying a pulpit or visiting far-flung family. At home he was greatly absorbed with study and a perpetual flow of visitors. He also suffered illnesses throughout his life, which surely burdened his wives with extra work. Also, for the sake of the Seminary, he turned down many job offers that would have enriched his family. Poverty was the result for many years.
Another challenge, and one I would struggle with, was Broadus’s perfectionist nature. As he put it apologetically in a letter to Lottie, he tended to be “exacting.” He set extremely high standards of behavior for himself and his children. How much those expectations extended to his wives, I’m not sure. He did, in one letter, urge Lottie to pamper herself.
DM: In early chapters, the book contains some letters from his daughter Carrie, but you write that she is not mentioned in many written sources about Broadus. Do you have any theories as to why Carrie disappeared from history? Any clues as to what happened to her?
BR: Oh, poor Carrie! It took me a few years to discover her fate, which I learned from a newspaper clipping my cousin Neal provided. She lived most of her life in a “sanitorium” and died when that institution burned in the 1930s. I believe she was erased from the family history due to shame about her mental illness. It’s also possible she had an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, but that’s pure speculation.
DM: How horrifying! Your speculation could be right. I have read several accounts of women being confined to asylums for reasons like that. Could you tell us a little about John Broadus’s other offspring. Did any go on to make significant contributions like their father?
BR: John Broadus fathered ten children, seven of whom lived to adulthood. None of them were “known” the way their father was, but they were all highly educated and energetic. Sam, the oldest son, established a number of banks in northern Alabama. Sadly, the other son, Boyce, died soon after he married and just before the birth of his first child. The oldest daughter, Eliza, never married and devoted herself to her family and Baptist activities. Annie died in her early forties. Alice raised five children, one of whom taught at Johns Hopkins and ran for Maryland’s governorship as a Socialist. He and some of his siblings were strong proponents of civil rights. Ella also raised five children and produced some published works. Bizarrely, both Eliza and Ella died after being struck by vehicles at the same Louisville intersection, years apart.
DM: What a strange coincidence! Truth that is stranger than fiction! Did anything surprise you as you explored the life of Broadus?
BR: I was greatly struck by several things. One was how much John Broadus was loved. People from all walks of life revered and adored him. He was friends with a rabbi, a famous scientist, John D. Rockefeller. He wrote many letters to a female friend in whom he confided. He would be baffled and dismayed by today’s societal fractures.
Another was his support of slavery for more than half his life. How could anyone so kind-hearted support slavery? it took a long time for Broadus to renounce the institution, even though he was always active in the Black community, once saying he enjoyed preaching to Black congregations more than White ones. He worked hard for the education of Blacks after the Civil War and spoke out strongly against the KKK.
I was also struck by how much my mother reflected her great grandfather. She shared his passion for learning, his willingness to be outspoken, his unfailing optimism, and his commitment to tireless service. She shared his love of flowers. She used some of his expressions, and she punished herself with her perfectionist tendencies. I don’t think that’s DNA—that’s influence.
DM: How different was this book to write from your historical fiction series? (Madam’s Creek (2017), Broom straw Ridge (2019), and Salt in Boiling Water (2021) (Read SLR’s interview with Betsy about this series here, as well as Tupper’s Coins (2023)? Was it easier or harder?
Much harder, even though I did a lot more compiling than actual writing. Writing novels, including ones that require a lot of research, is such great fun. I can’t say this was, especially when it came to citations. Broadus Unbound began as something I wanted to do for my extended family, namely the many descendants. This focus made it hard for me to omit letters that might well have been excluded for a wider audience. Those kinds of choices bothered me all the way through. I’ve said, “Never again!” to nonfiction, and I expect to stick with it.
Thank you, Donna!
DM: Thank you, Betsy, for sharing a little about your important historical research into the life on an important Southern Baptist minister.
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