Royall used her writing skills to navigate and shape the political and social landscape of her time. She was a leading journalist and critic in early American history. Raised on the frontiers of Pennsylvania and Virginia, including time living in Monroe County and Charleston, her intellectual curiosity and resourcefulness forged a path that many women of her era could not imagine.

Her marriage to Maj. William Royall in 1797 led to a life intertwined with politics, history, and literature, even as she faced personal challenges, such as losing her inheritance and being denied a pension as the widow of a Revolutionary War veteran. Instead of succumbing to these setbacks, she took to writing, traveling extensively, and publishing books that vividly described the places and people she encountered. Her works supported press freedoms, liberty of conscience, and political transparency.

In Washington, her newspaper Paul Pry famously criticized political and religious corruption. Despite facing opposition and eventual closure of the paper, she continued her work through The Huntress, which had a more moderate tone but still provided insight on national issues.