Martha Louise Root (August 19, 1872 – September 28, 1939) was a prominent traveling teacher of the
Bahá'í FaithThe Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories.The Bahá'í Faith teaches a doctrine of...
in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Shoghi EffendiShoghí Effendí Rabbání , better known as Shoghi Effendi, was the Guardian and appointed head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957...
, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith called her "the foremost travel teacher in the first Bahá'í Century", and named her a
Hand of the CauseThe Hands of the Cause of God, Hands of the Cause, or Hands were a select group of Bahá'ís, appointed for life, whose main function was to propagate and protect the Bahá'í Faith...
posthumously. Known by her numerous visits with Heads of State and other public figures. Of special importance was her efforts with
Queen Marie of RomaniaMarie of Edinburgh was Queen of Romania as spouse of King Ferdinand of Romania.-Early life:...
, considered the first Monarch to accept
Bahá'u'lláhBahá'u'lláh , born Mírzá usayn-`Alí Nuri , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith...
.
Martha Root was born on August 19, 1872 to Timothy and Nancy Root in
RichwoodRichwood is a village in Union County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,156 at the 2000 census.The village's motto is, "Where the Clock Strikes Hospitality", which refers to the historic former opera house with its grand clock tower...
,
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state of the United States. The thirty-fourth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the seventh-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents...
.
Martha Louise Root (August 19, 1872 – September 28, 1939) was a prominent traveling teacher of the
Bahá'í FaithThe Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories.The Bahá'í Faith teaches a doctrine of...
in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Shoghi EffendiShoghí Effendí Rabbání , better known as Shoghi Effendi, was the Guardian and appointed head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957...
, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith called her "the foremost travel teacher in the first Bahá'í Century", and named her a
Hand of the CauseThe Hands of the Cause of God, Hands of the Cause, or Hands were a select group of Bahá'ís, appointed for life, whose main function was to propagate and protect the Bahá'í Faith...
posthumously. Known by her numerous visits with Heads of State and other public figures. Of special importance was her efforts with
Queen Marie of RomaniaMarie of Edinburgh was Queen of Romania as spouse of King Ferdinand of Romania.-Early life:...
, considered the first Monarch to accept
Bahá'u'lláhBahá'u'lláh , born Mírzá usayn-`Alí Nuri , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith...
.
Early life
Martha Root was born on August 19, 1872 to Timothy and Nancy Root in
RichwoodRichwood is a village in Union County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,156 at the 2000 census.The village's motto is, "Where the Clock Strikes Hospitality", which refers to the historic former opera house with its grand clock tower...
,
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state of the United States. The thirty-fourth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the seventh-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents...
. She had two older brothers, Clarence and Claude. Shortly after her birth, the family moved to Cambridge Springs,
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
, where her father ran a dairy farm. Martha, known as Mattie, was not a typical girl, since her interest lay in books rather than the usual domestic pursuits, and when she was 14 she earned enough money from writing to pay for a trip to
Niagara FallsThe Niagara Falls are voluminous waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York...
. She distinguished herself in high school and college, attending
Oberlin CollegeOberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio. It was founded in 1833 by Presbyterian ministers, and is home to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, making it the only top-ranked liberal arts college with a top-ranked conservatory...
, where she designed her own program; she then continued to the
University of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private, coeducational research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by oil magnate and benefactor John D...
and earned her degree 1895.
Writing career
While she started teaching after her degree, she gave that up to start writing for different newspapers. In the summer of 1900 she worked at the
PittsburghPittsburgh is a city in and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and the second largest city in the state. Its population was 334,563 at the 2000 census; by 2006, it was estimated to have fallen to 312,819. The population of the seven-county metropolitan area is...
Chronicle Telegraph as the society editor, and then in the fall she worked for the
Pittsburgh DispatchThe Pittsburgh Dispatch was a leading newspaper in Pittsburgh, PA, operating from 1846 to 1923. After being enlarged by publisher Daniel O'Neill it was reportedly one of the largest and most prosperous newspapers in the United States...
. She then starting writing about automobiles, which took her to
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
and then back to Pittsburgh.
Introduction to the Bahá'í Faith
In 1909 she met Roy C. Wilhem who introduced her to the Bahá'í Faith by giving her some literature. While researching the religion for several months she met several members of the Bahá'í community, including
Thornton ChaseThornton Chase is commonly recognized as the first convert to the Bahá'í Faith of Occidental background...
and Arthur Agnew in
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
, and she, later in that year, declared her faith in the Bahá'í teachings. During this time, she kept on writing and in 1909 she wrote a detailed article for the Pittsburgh Post about the history and teachings of the Bahá'í Faith. She also participated in the first annual Bahá'í convention, which took place in Chicago in 1911.
Visit of `Abdu'l-Bahá to the United States
During 1911 and 1912,
`Abdu'l-Bahá‘Abdu’l-Bahá , born `Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith...
, the son of the
founderBahá'u'lláh , born Mírzá usayn-`Alí Nuri , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith...
of the Bahá'í Faith, visited the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Martha Root attended many of `Abdu'l-Bahá's talks, and arranged his talk in Pittsburgh. During this time Martha Root developed breast cancer, but it went into remission for many years.
World travel and teaching
After meeting with `Abdu'l-Bahá, Martha Root began a world trip where she would spread the teachings of the Bahá'í Faith. She left the United States on January 30, 1915, and after visiting some countries in Europe, she wanted to visit
PalestinePalestine is a conventional name used, among others, to describe a geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands.As a geographical term, Palestine can also refer to 'ancient Palestine,' an area...
to visit the Bahá'í holy places, but she could not go due to the
First World WarWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
. So instead, she travelled to
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
, and stayed there for six months. During that time she wrote newspaper articles. She then travelled to Bombay, Rangoon,
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and
HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only state made up entirely of islands. It is located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August...
. She arrived back in the continental United States when she reached San Francisco on August 29, 1915.
After staying in the United States for five years, she then travelled to Canada in 1920, visiting
Saint JohnSaint John is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the oldest incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 68,043...
,
MontrealMontreal is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. Originally called Ville-Marie , the city takes its present name from Mont-Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the...
,
LondonLondon is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada along the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor with a metropolitan area population of 457,720; the city proper had a population of 352,395 in the 2006 Canadian census....
and Saint Thomas where she arranged teaching programs. She then travelled to
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and then
GuatemalaGuatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. Its size is just under 110,000 km² with an estimated population...
where she was going to meet with the president, but due to a political revolution, the meeting never happened. By 1921, her breast cancer had spread and she was in frequent pain; her father's health was also failing, and thus her travels become more limited.
Middle years
After her father's death on November 3, 1922, Martha started her travels once again at the age of 50. She travelled to many parts of the United States, Canada,
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
to spread the teachings of
Bahá'u'lláhBahá'u'lláh , born Mírzá usayn-`Alí Nuri , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith...
, and the Bahá'í Faith. She then travelled to
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
,
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
,
TasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is located south of the eastern side of the continent, from which it is separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania – the 26th largest island in the world – and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 500,000 ,...
, and
Hong KongHong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a highly autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south...
, and helped
Bahá'í pioneersA pioneer is a volunteer Bahá'í who leaves his or her home to journey to another place for the purpose of teaching the Bahá'í Faith. The act of so moving is termed pioneering. Bahá'ís refrain from using the term "missionary"...
to teach about the Bahá'í Faith. She then travelled to
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...
, and went on several radio broadcasts. She also studied
Esperantois the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto, the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887. The word esperanto means "one who hopes" in the language itself...
, and met
Lidia ZamenhofLidia Zamenhof was the youngest daughter of Ludwik Zamenhof, the creator of the international auxiliary language, Esperanto. She was born 29 January 1904 in Warsaw, then in the Russian Empire...
, the daughter of
Ludwig ZamenhofLudwik Łazarz Zamenhof was an ophthalmologist, philologist, and the inventor of Esperanto, a constructed language designed for international communication....
, the creator of Esperanto, who would later become a Bahá'í.
Meeting with Queen Marie of Romania
In 1923 she arrived in
BucharestBucharest is the capital city, industrial and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmboviţa River....
and sent the Queen a copy of the book
Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era. Two days after the Queen received the book she granted Martha Root an audience in the palace. The Queen then embraced the Bahá'í Faith, becoming the first monarch to do so.
Visit to the Holy Land
In 1925 Martha Root travelled to the Bahá'í holy land, and met
Bahíyyih KhánumBahíyyih Khánum the only daughter of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and Ásíyih Khánum. She was born in 1846 with the given name Fatimih Sultan, and was entitled "Varaqiy-i-'Ulyá" or "Greatest Holy Leaf"...
and
Shoghi EffendiShoghí Effendí Rabbání , better known as Shoghi Effendi, was the Guardian and appointed head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957...
. She then travelled to the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
,
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula....
,
YugoslaviaYugoslavia is a term that describes three political entities that existed successively on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, during most of the 20th century.The first country to be known by this...
and
CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, once again teaching the Bahá'í Faith. She then travelled to
IranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanid period and came into international use from 1935, before which the country was known internationally as Persia...
, even though Shoghi Effendi recommended not doing so. She hoped to meet with the Sháh,
Reza Khan PahlaviNot to be confused with Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, his son.Rezā Shāh, also Rezā Shāh Pahlavi , , was the Shah of the Imperial State of Iran from December 15, 1925 until he was forced to abdicate by the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in September 16, 1941.In 1925, Reza Shah overthrew Ahmad...
, but did not do so.
Later years
In 1930 she wanted to meet with Emperor Hirohito of Japan, but US officials blocked her access. Instead she sent the Emperor some Bahá'í books and some other gifts. She continued to teach, even while she was in ill-health travelling in 1937 to Hawaii, China and
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
. She returned to Hawaii in 1938 where she died on September 28, 1939.
External links