Beatrix Potter: Artist, Storyteller and Countrywoman

In her day, Beatrix Potter was expected to marry and be a good wife, but she had other notions about all of that. Her family attempted to block her from publishing books, and tried to arrange a suitable marriage. Overcoming family pressure, she published the first of many books for children. The most famous is The tale of Peter Rabbit. As a countrywoman she was a major conservationist in the Lake District of England, helping to maintain the landscape and farming practices of the region. She acquired over 4,000 acres of hill-farm property that she bequeathed to the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty.