Born in England, Anne Bradstreet was the daughter of a steward to the Earl of Lincoln. Since she was from an affluent family, Anne Bradstreet had vast opportunities even though she was a young woman. She was educated in literature and history and had the unusual opportunity to learn several languages.

Anne Bradstreet married when she was sixteen years old and with her parents and husband, moved to the states. Her family was aboard the Arbella for the 1630 Great Migration. Once the ship landed in the states, Anne's family made up the Massachusetts Bay Colony governing powers after surviving the three-month voyage that led some to their death.

Anne Bradstreet had eight children. She was ill most of her adult life but gained a significant social standing for her era. Bradstreet was strong-willed and smart. Historians believe that she was able to write with authority on various subjects in part due to her massive collection of books. Some believe she housed over eight hundred in a personal library but all were lost when her home burned down in the mid sixteen hundreds.

Bradstreet was a woman of faith. She wrote eloquently about the world in which she lived. She wrote about things that inspired her and chose to write about domestic matters and religion. Her collection of religious poems, Contemplations wasn't published until the mid-19th century. The collection of poetry was originally written for her family. Anne Bradstreet died in 1672.