SARAH AND ANGELINA

GRIMKEAbolitionists and Woman Rights Activists

"I recognize no rights but human rights—I know nothing of men’s rights and women’s rights…men and women were created equal. They are both moral and accountable beings, and whatever is right for man to do, is right for woman."1 – The Grimke Sisters: Sarah and Angelina Grimke – civil rights

Kaitie Hess and Kat Staley

EARLY LIFE

Wealthy slave-holding South Carolina family• Sarah - born on November 26, 1792• Angelina - born on February 20, 1805

Strongly disagreed with slavery• Secretly taught slave children to read

Sarah moved to Philadelphia to become a Quaker (1821)• Angelina followed in 1829

LATER LIFE

Moved to New York to work for its Anti-Slavery Society (1836)

Angelina married abolitionist Theodore Dwight Weld (1838)• Sarah moved in with the couple

The three abolitionist suffered financially in the following decades • Farmed and operated schools in 1840s/1850s

Retired to the Hyde Park section of Boston (1864)• Sisters activism switched to woman’s rights

Attempted to cast ballots in the 1870 election• Rejected by male Hyde Park officials

Sarah attempted to vote for the first time at age 80• Died three years later in 1873; Angelina died in 1879

ANTI-SLAVERY MOVEMENT

Anti-Slavery Movement- Abolitionism is a movement to end human slavery

Quakers earliest to protest slave trade

1831- William Lloyd Garrison made The Liberator and founded the New England Anti-

Slavery Society

1833- The American Anti-Slavery Society was founded- split in 1839

Books, pamphlets, newspapers, and other publications were crucial to the spread of

anti-slavery

1863- Lincoln delivered Emancipation Proclamation which stated “all persons held as

slaves within any State, or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be

in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.”

The 13th Amendment of the Constitution officially abolished slavery in the United

States

THE WOMEN’S RIGHTS MOVEMENT

Women’s Rights Movement- The term women's rights refers to the

putative freedoms and entitlements of women and girls of all ages.

Began because of the anti-slavery movement- belief equality should

extend to both African-Americans and women

Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton- prominent early advocates for

woman’s rights

1848- Seneca Falls Convention- called to issue a declaration for woman

suffrage and educational and employment rights

1850- first national convention for women’s rights was held by Lucy Stone

Many societies formed such as The National American Woman Suffrage

Association

1919- women’s suffrage bill passed- 19th Amendment of the Constitution

1836- An Epistle to the Clergy of the

Southern States• An pamphlet against slavery

****1838- Letters on the Equality of

Sexes and the Condition of women• rights of African- Americans and

women are the similar

(written with Theodoreand Weld) 1839-

American Slavery as It Is: Testimony of a

Thousand Witnesses• Quoted Southerners about treatment

of slaves, how it was acceptable, and the slave trade itself

1835- first published work, a letter fighting

slavery published in abolitionist newspaper,

The Liberator

1836- An Appeal to the Christian Women

of the South • pamphlet encouraging white women in

the south to disapprove of Slavery

1837- An Appeal to the Women of the

Nominally Free States

1837 (written)- Letters to Catherine

Beecher• defended the right to speak publicly for

causes such as abolition

1838- first woman to speak before a

legislative committee• presenting an antislavery petition to

Massachusetts law makers

CONTRIBUTIONS

Sarah Angelina

CONTRIBUTIONS

Both sisters visited 67 cities on a tour of Northeast

to speak for abolitionist movement

Lectured unpopular topics to a public audience • Created heated debates and controversy

EFFECTS

Gave others the confidence to speak up

Connected anti-slavery and woman’s right• “I know you do not make the laws, but I also know you are the wives,

mothers, sisters, and daughters of those who do; and if you really suppose you can do nothing to overthrow slavery you are greatly mistaken.”-Angelina Grimke, Appeal to the Christian Woman of the South

Educating individuals about anti-slavery and the lack of woman’s

rights

Defying the role of a woman • Criticized for their “unnatural” behavior

Great influences for the rights of African-Americans and woman

MLA

Secondary:

"Grimke Sisters." Nps.gov. National Park Service, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2013. <http://www.nps.gov/wori/historyculture/grimke-

sisters.htm>.

"Rights for Women." Rights for Women. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.

<http://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/rightsforwomen/abolitionandsuffrage.html>.

"The Feminist Movement in the United States." The Feminist Movement in the United States. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.

<http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/ATLAS_EN/html/the_feminist_movement_in_the_u.html>.

"Young and Brave: Girls Changing History." Young and Brave: Girls Changing History. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.

<http://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/youngandbrave/asgrimke.html>.

Primary:

Grimke, Angelina E. Appeal to the Christian Woman of the South. New York: American Anti-Slavery Society, 1836. Print.

Grimké, Sarah Moore. An Epistle to the Clergy of the Southern States. New York: n.p., 1836. Print.