Sarah Moore Grimké (1792-1873) is widely considered to be the mother of the American women’s suffrage movement. At a time when women were not welcome in the public sphere, her work left an imprint on American society that is still felt today.
Sarah Moore Grimké (1792-1873) is widely considered to be the mother of the American women’s suffrage movement. At a time when women were not welcome in the public sphere, her work left an imprint on American society that is still felt today.
This month, we’re highlighting Women of Resistance. Whether fighting tyranny, oppression, sexism, racism, reproductive control, or any number of other ills, these women created paths for change.
History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Liz Smith, Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Ale Tejeda, Sara Schleede, and Alex Jhamb Burns. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.
Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.
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Hello, from Wonder Media Network I’m Jenny Kaplan and this is Womanica.
This month on Womanica, we’re highlighting women who led extraordinary lives of resistance.
Today, we’re talking about a woman who is widely considered to be the mother of the American women’s suffrage movement. She defied her family and gender norms. At a time when women were not welcome in the public sphere, her work left an imprint on American society that is still felt today.
Let’s talk about Sarah Moore Grimké.
Sarah was born on November 26, 1792 in Charleston, South Carolina, into a large, wealthy family.
Sarah’s parents, Mary and John, were enslavers, and the family lived on a plantation.
John did not approve of education for women. And so, Sarah didn’t attend school. Instead she had a tutor who taught her music, painting, and sewing. Her brother Thomas, on the other hand, received an excellent education and went on to attend Yale College.
Sarah was an eager and avid learner and took advantage of her brother’s elite education. Thomas taught her Latin, Greek, math, and geography.
Sarah’s family attended the Episcopalian church, and on Sundays, the older girls taught classes to enslaved children. However, all of the classes were oral. At the time, it was illegal for any person of color to learn to read. Sarah didn’t accept that and she clandestinely taught her own maid in the evenings. They would turn out the lights, and lie on their stomachs in front of the fire, pouring over spelling books.
When Sarah was in her mid-twenties, she traveled to Philadelphia with her father, who was gravely ill. They were there to visit a doctor, and ended up staying at a Quaker boarding house. Sarah learned that the Quakers believed slavery was evil and they were also more open-minded about the rights of women than many at the time.
A few years later, after her father died , Sarah converted to Quakerism and moved to Philadelphia. Back in Charleston, her younger sister Angelina had similar revelations. After trying and failing to convert the rest of the family to Quakerism and the abolitionist cause, Angelina joined Sarah in Philadelphia..
Sarah had initially found refuge in the Philadelphia Quaker meeting as a place that shared her beliefs. But the cracks were beginning to show. As Sarah and her sister got more deeply involved in abolitionist circles, they realized the Philadelphia Quakers were wary of emancipation and they also didn’t fully approve of women speaking in public.
The sisters were not deterred. They trained as agents of abolitionism, gave public speeches, and began writing anti-slavery public letters that reached a wide audience. These letters did not go over well in their home state of South Carolina. Postmasters burned the booklets containing the letters, and Sarah and Angelina were warned that they would be under arrest were they to return to Charleston.
Sarah was also actively campaigning for women’s rights. In her most famous published work, titled “Letters on the Equality of the Sexes and the Condition of Women” she wrote the words that were famously quoted by former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg:
“But I ask no favors for my sex. I surrender not our claim to equality. All I ask of our brethren is, that they will take their feet from off our necks, and permit us to stand upright …”
In 1865, Congress passed the 13th Amendment, outlawing slavery in the U.S. The right for women to vote was still decades yet to come.
Toward the end of her life Sarah remained actively involved as an officer in the Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association. In 1870, almost 40 years before it was legal to do so, Sarah and a group of women in Hyde Park, Boston braved a snowstorm to vote in a local election. Their votes weren’t counted, but the action did inspire young women to continue the fight.
Sarah died in Boston on December 23, 1873.
All month we’re highlighting women who led lives of resistance. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.
Talk to you tomorrow!