Martha Root

Martha Louise Root

Martha Louise Root (August 10, 1872 – September 28, 1939) was a prominent traveling teacher of the Bahá'í Faith in the late 19th and early 20th century. Shoghi Effendi, then head of the Bahá'í Faith, called her "the foremost travel teacher in the first Bahá'í Century", and named her a Hand of the Cause posthumously. Known by her numerous visits with Heads of State and other public figures, of special importance was her efforts with Queen Marie of Romania, considered the first royal to accept Bahá'u'lláh.

Early life

Martha Root was born on August 10, 1872 to Timothy and Nancy Root in Richwood, Ohio. She had two older brothers, Clarence and Claude. Shortly after her birth, the family moved to Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, 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 Falls. She distinguished herself in high school and college, attending Oberlin College, where she designed her own program; she then continued to the University of Chicago and earned her degree in 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 Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph as the society editor, and then in the fall she worked for the Pittsburgh Dispatch. She then started writing about automobiles, which took her to France and then back to Pittsburgh.

Introduction to the Bahá'í Faith

In 1909 she met Roy C. Wilhelm 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 Chase and Arthur Agnew in Chicago, 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, the son of the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, visited the United States and Canada. 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 Palestine to visit the Bahá'í holy places, but she could not go due to the First World War. So instead, she travelled to Egypt, and stayed there for six months. During that time she wrote newspaper articles. She then travelled to Bombay, Rangoon, Japan, and Hawaii. 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 John, Montreal, London and Saint Thomas where she arranged teaching programs. She then travelled to Mexico and then Guatemala 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, Japan and China to spread the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, and the Bahá'í Faith. She then travelled to Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, and Hong Kong, and helped Bahá'í pioneers to teach about the Bahá'í Faith. She then travelled to South Africa, and went on several radio broadcasts. She also studied Esperanto, and met Lidia Zamenhof, the daughter of Ludwig Zamenhof, the creator of Esperanto, who would later become a Bahá'í.

Meeting with Queen Marie of Romania

In 1923 she arrived in Bucharest 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.

The first of eight successive audiences with Queen Marie of Romania took place in January 1926 in Controceni Palace in Bucharest. The second, in 1927 in Pelisor Palace in Sinaia, was followed by a visit in January 1928 at the royal palace in Belgrade. A fourth visit took place in October 1929, at the Queen's summer palace "Tehna Yuva," at Balcic, on the Black Sea. In August 1932 and February 1933, Martha Root was received at the home of Princess Ileana (Arch-Duchess Anton of Austria) at Mödling, near Vienna. In February 1934 and February 1936, audiences were granted at Controceni Palace.

Visit to the Holy Land

In 1925 Martha Root travelled to the Bahá'í holy land, and met Bahíyyih Khánum and Shoghi Effendi. She then travelled to the United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, once again teaching the Bahá'í Faith. She then travelled to Iran, even though Shoghi Effendi recommended not doing so. She hoped to meet with the Sháh, Reza Khan Pahlavi, 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 India. She returned to Hawaii in 1938 where she died on September 28, 1939.

Publications

References

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