Harriet Whiting Backus

Biography

Harriet Whiting Backus lived a brief life during the early years of the American republic, representing the young generation born after independence. Though her time was short, she was part of a family and community that contributed to the social fabric of her region in Connecticut.

Her early death at age twenty-five reflects the challenges of life in the early nineteenth century, when illness and other hardships claimed many lives. Harriet is remembered with respect at Canaan Cemetery, where her memory is honored by those who knew her and her descendants.