Hello, my name is Lucretia Mott and I am best remembered as being an advocate of women’s rights and social reform for African Americans. On January 3, 1973 I was born to Thomas Coffin and Anna Folger in Nantucket, Massachusetts who were both prominent Quakers. When I was thirteen I attended Nine Partners Quaker Boarding School in Millbrook and later received a teaching job in the same institution. This is primarily where my interest in women’s rights began. I had discovered that male teachers were being paid three times as much as the female staff! Imagine the injustice! I fought long and hard for women’s right but I also fought for the right of divorce! Before, divorces were uncommon and when they occurred the father received immediate custody of the children. I fought for women to be able to obtain divorces and legal custody of her children. My husband and I were also great advocates for the abolition of slavery and greater moral reform. We had sheltered many runaway slaves and we both co-founded the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society. I believed in black suffrage and the assertion of their social rights. Thanks to my work I was able to gain suffrage for both African Americans and women alike. However, I didn’t only work as an abolitionist and an advocate of social reform for women and blacks, but I also worked in my home which led one to comment “She is proof that it is possible for a women to widen her sphere without deserting it.”
Monday, November 30, 2009
Lucretia Mott
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4 comments:
Your dedication to the issue of women's rights is quite remarkable, Lucretia. I am very proud to be able to count you as one of my close friends. Equality for women is a struggle we must continue to fight for. I applaud your determination in standing up for your rights and in refusing to have your voice silenced by men. We must continue to knock down the legal obstacles holding us back. As you have said, women should have the right to divorce, and should be able to retain custody of their children. I look foward to working with you in the future, in the battle for justice and equality.
-Elizabeth Cady Stanton
I am glad to hear that the Pennsylvania division of the Anti-slavery society is reaching new developments. We must guarantee a totally equal system for all men and women of all races. We shall continue the fight for social justice for everyone; even if it means having to be stoned, lynched, beaten, shot, made criminals in some states, or if we have to do the extreme to get justice! Lucretia, I hope that you and James are successful in your efforts in Pennsylvania. Down with the cancerous growth of slavery, and anything that supports it!
-William Lloyd Garrison
Lucretia, I am so glad we have become friends. Your dedication to fight for the rights and equality of women has also influenced my thinking. With your insight to some of the occuring issues I now realize what the some more arguements are to my goal as well. I hope we continue to encourage eachother and share new ideas and eventually earn the equality we deserve and worked so hard to get!
-Susan B. Anthony
Hello Lucretia Mott, I Angelina Grimke too believes in everything that you believe. Women should have equal rights; we should have equal pay and be able to decide if we want a divorce. I have spoken about suffrage and anti-slavery numerous times to both men and women (I was the first to do so in fact.) Also for African Americans we need to take a stand a show that slavery is morally unjust which you so clearly state. Thank you for your wise words and I will see you soon
Angelina Grimke
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