Basic Facts
- Name: Samantha Parkington
- Birthday: May 26th, 1895
- Series Location: Mount Bedford, New York City, New York
- Series Timeline: Late Summer 1904 to Summer 1907
Samantha (occasionally nicknamed "Sam") is an orphan who, at the start of the series, is living with her old-fashioned Grandmary. She seeks the approval of Grandmary and does not want to disappoint her or worry her. Samantha was five years old when her parents died in a boating accident. Samantha only remembers her parents a little bit. She has been partially raised by her Uncle Gardner and he is very much a father figure in her life; she wants to please him as well and does not want to be left out of his life even after his marriage.
Samantha is curious which leads to her asking a lot of questions from the people around her and thus questioning the status quo. She can be very defiant when she feels she has been wronged. She is very interested in her parents and their lives, as they died in a boating accident when she was five years old and is compared in looks to her mother. She has a rough side such as climbing trees and feels it is very hard to be a young lady. She often thinks fancifully, such as when she thinks Jessie has left to be an actress and that her uncle may be a spy. Samantha is rather bold and mischievous and playful, generally going places she should not, sneaking off, and even standing up to her mocking neighbor, Eddie Ryland.
Samantha likes progress, new inventions, and is interested in how things are changing in all ways at the turn of the century. At times she comes off as very naive due to her sheltered life; Nellie's harder life originally served as contrast to Samantha's well to do life. She is also very giving, having given up her doll to Nellie soon after getting it as well as giving her time to help her become better at school. She does not think this is merely helping a poorer person and sees her as a friend.
She loves to read; her favorite book is The Wizard of Oz. Samantha can play the piano, although she does not think she has much musical skill. She loves to paint and someday wishes that she could be as good of an artist as her mother Lydia Parkington. Samantha is not extremely skilled at embroidery but does good work; in her first book she completes a sampler and in Samantha's Ocean Liner Adventure she embroiders a handkerchief. She either wants to be a painter like Mary Cassatt or the first female US President. Samantha is very good at public speaking, and knows how to bring attention and persuade people of her ideas easily. She gives a speech in Samantha Learns A Lesson and in Samantha's Special Talent, she realizes she's good at speaking.
American Girl characterizes her as "compassionate" and "kind."
Samantha Parkington was one of the first three Historical Characters of the American Girl Dolls, representing the Edwardian Era. Samantha was released in 1986 along with Kirsten Larson and Molly McIntire.
In October 2008, American Girl announced that they would "archive" Samantha's entire collection; she, Nellie O'Malley, and their collections would become unavailable for purchase. Many items quickly sold out. The Samantha doll sold out on Feb 3, 2009, and official archiving was on May 31, 2009. It is officially unknown if Samantha and Nellie will ever be available again after the archiving; American Girl has made no official statements about their return at this time. Samantha's books, the movie, and the two mini dolls remain available for purchase.
