The Journal of Allison Beckett

The Civil War had come and gone, leaving the nation scarred and in transition. Many men migrated to the west to find their fortune and carve a new life for themselves. Many single women were left in the cities, without husbands either due to loss from the war, or simply because most of the eligible men had been taken. To say that there was a wide disparity in distribution of the sexes then, was putting it mildly. The young nation was imbalanced, and out of whack. Something had to be done to put order and balance back. This turbulent period helped usher in the era of the mail-order bride.
Young Allison Beckett worked as a live-in maid for the Wesley household. Even though she was paid, had a roof over her head and food to eat, she felt as though she was missing something more important in her life. When she received a flyer in the post about the company searching for young, single women willing to go to Oregon as mail-order brides, Allison saw her opportunity. Writing her thoughts in a journal, Allison kept her day to day life chronicled, including the journey by ship to a new, and hopefully, more fulfilling life.