October 24, 1826: Ann Hasseltine Judson, one of the first American overseas missionaries, died of smallpox in Burma at age 37. She was a teacher from graduation until her marriage to Adoniram Judson in 1812. During the first Anglo-Burmese war (1824–26), her husband was imprisoned for 17 months under suspicion of being an English spy, and Ann moved into a shack outside the prison gates so as to support her husband. She lobbied vigorously for months to convince the authorities to release her husband and his fellow prisoners, but her efforts were unsuccessful. She also sent food and sleeping mats to the prisoners to help their time in prison to be more bearable. After her husband’s release they both remained in Burma to continue their work. Ann wrote a catechism in Burmese, and translated the books of Daniel and Jonah into Burmese. She was the first Protestant to translate any of the scriptures into Thai when in 1819 she translated the Gospel of Matthew. ABHS has her letters from Burma and the books she translated in the archives as well as books about her and her work.
