Wonderful Woman Behind Oz

In 1900, America was introduced to both its first fairytale and its first good witches. L. Frank Baum’s iconic children’s story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ushered in a new age for the witch, transforming these monstrous figures of old into good, kind, and beautiful characters. While we will never know what precisely inspired Baum to include good witches in his story, this presentation discussed the influence of one powerful close connection, Matilda Joslyn Gage. Though her name is unfamiliar today, Joslyn Gage was an important leader of the first wave feminist movement, a trailblazing human rights activist, and the mother-in-law of L. Frank Baum. This presentation discussed the life and work of Matilda Joslyn Gage, her relationship with her famous-son-in-law, and the effect of Baum’s work on the evolving perception of the witch.