Julia Evelina Smith was a linguist, women’s rights activist, and the first American woman to translate the Bible into English. She began work on her Bible in 1847 after becoming dissatisfied with the accuracy of other translations. Working with the original Greek and Hebrew texts, and consulting the Vulgate, she completed her Bible in 1855. However, she would not publish it until 1876, at the age of 84. Smith’s translation is characterized by its literalness, often at the expense of readability. She hoped it would help demonstrate the intellectual capabilities of women. It was later consulted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her colleagues as they prepared their controversial work, The Woman’s Bible.