Mary Griffith

Mary Griffith (1772–1846) was an American writer, horticulturist, and scientific observer whose work moved easily between literature and practical research. Born Mary Corré, she lived in New York and New Jersey and published not only fiction but also articles on natural history, agriculture, and other scientific subjects.

After her husband died in 1815, she continued her work with unusual independence for her time. At her New Jersey estate, Charlieshope, she carried out experiments and wrote for journals, newspapers, and books, building a reputation as a serious observer of the natural world.

She is now especially remembered for Three Hundred Years Hence, published in 1836 within Camperdown, or News from Our Neighborhood. That forward-looking story imagines a future shaped by reform and has been described as the first known utopian novel by an American woman.