by Jeanne Gehret
by Jeanne Gehret
For women’s history month, I want to spotlight Sarah and Angelina Grimké, trailblazing sisters who defied the status quo and inspired Susan B. Anthony. Sarah Moore Grimké (1792-1873) and Angelina Emily Grimké Weld (1805-1879) were the first well-known white women to advocate for both abolition and women’s rights.
The Grimké sisters: rising against injustice
The Grimké sisters grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, as privileged daughters of a judge and plantation owner. Moral contradictions shaped by wealth and slavery marked their childhood. Sue Monk Kidd’s historical novel, The Invention of Wings, vividly portrays their struggles against racial injustices.
Charleston, in the early 19th century, was a bustling, wealthy metropolis with a complex social structure largely built on enslaved Black residents. Sarah and Angelina witnessed their mother’s cruel punishments of slaves in the “sugar house,” where soundproofed walls concealed the screams of the tortured.
A legacy of advocacy
The sisters could not ignore these harsh realities. Troubled by the cruelty, Sarah (pictured above) taught an enslaved girl to read, showcasing her commitment to education and emancipation. Angelina took her activism further with her pamphlet “Appeal to the Christian Women of the South,” prompting haunting questions about slavery’s morality.
In her pamphlet, Angelina posed the provocative question: “Are you willing to enslave your children? You start back with horror, but why, if slavery is no wrong to those upon whom it is imposed?” This bold confrontation prompted Charlestonians to burn her pamphlet. Despite this, the Grimké sisters persisted and undertook a 67-city speaking tour in the Northeast, including New York.
Breaking barriers in advocacy
Throughout their tour, the Grimké sisters shocked audiences by addressing mixed-gender gatherings—a scandalous act in a society where respectable women did not speak in public. Their courage paved the way for reformers like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucy Stone to advocate for both abolition and women’s rights.
Conclusion: a lasting influence
The Grimké sisters’ legacy of courage is a powerful reminder of the impact individuals can have against injustice. Their willingness to confront societal norms and advocate for the voiceless gives us examples valuable for our troubled times.
This post is a rewrite of an earlier one in 2017
Personal note: This month I will again be portraying Susan B. in a classroom. I just can’t resist telling brave people’s stories to kids in need of heroes.
Shameless self-promotion:
For those interested learning more about Susan B. herself, here’s my easy-reading biography Susan B. Anthony and Justice for All. Although I wrote it for students, it’s great for adults who want a quick but thorough telling of Susan’s life story. I’m really proud of the included images because I personally selected them from the Library of Congress archives or commissioned them to be drawn by Jeff Lennox. The book proceeds in chronological order, making it easy to track with other historical events. Moreover, it will be on sale for the month of March. Happy women’s history month!
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