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some other scenes i remember was the little girl burning her dolls hair with a stove heated hot iron in one of the first episodes and her almost drowning in a small pond at one point
from the early 2000's or earlier. the art looks almost like Rose of Versailles but more (western?)
Could it maybe be one of the television adaptations of A Little Princess...? The general arc of what you described is the same, but some of the details are different. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Little_Princess#Television
it looks similar to a little princess, but its not the show. :/
What about the Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair anime?
The best character is always the one-shot disguise.
Thanks for everyone's help, but i found it. It's "Trouble with Sophie"
I need help finding this cartoon. I'm not sure but i think the title was the main characters surname (or self given name idek). The show is set in Europe (i do remember the girl visiting america around the time of slavery). The main character is a young girl from a rather wealthy family. both her parents die in a carriage accident. She either taken in by this older woman or her families wealth is taken by this older woman, but shes abused and pushed around by this woman. Shes eventually rescued by the family of her childhood friend and lives well. I think the series ends when her abuser confesses that she was jealous of her and dies, then jumps to her as an adult at her wedding (or some ceremony). One opening scene was the little girls mother ( a young woman with long gold hair in large curls) and the girl talking over tea on their balcony/porch.
Edited by DidacticClam