Mary Grew, an American abolitionist and suffragist, is remembered as a talented speaker and tireless fighter for the abolition of slavery and the empowerment of women. She oversaw the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society and the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society. Mary was part of a group of women from the United States who attended the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London in 1840 but were unable to fully participate. Learn more at philadelphianka.
Nonetheless, Mary Grew persevered and never gave up. She spoke frequently in public, wrote articles for magazines and newspapers and believed that slavery would be abolished and women would be granted equal rights as men. In this article, we will tell you more about her life story.
Early years
Mary was born September 1, 1813, in Hartford, Connecticut. Her father, Henry, was a religious writer who was actively involved in the fight against slavery. He had four wives. Mary was born to his third wife, Kate Merrow. The girl became friends with her stepsister, who was older than her.
The progressive father wanted to provide his daughters with a quality education. Thus Mary enrolled at the Hartford Female Seminary. In the 1820s, it was regarded as one of the best educational institutions for girls.
The family relocated to Philadelphia in 1834. Mary’s later life was inextricably linked to this city, as well as its abolitionist and suffragist movements. So, she immediately joined the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society, which had only recently been established at the time.
Fight against slavery
Mary, inspired by her father’s example and ideas, became a dedicated advocate for the abolition of slavery. At the time, abolitionists in Philadelphia were divided into groups based on their race and gender. As a result, Mary joined the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society and the associated Philadelphia sorority. The latter regularly held meetings and annually organized a craft fair. Funds raised during the event were utilized to promote abolitionist efforts.
In 1840, as a demonstration of solidarity for women, they elected delegates to the World Anti-Slavery Convention, which was to be held in London. Along with Mary Grew, Elizabeth Neall, Sarah Pugh and Abby Kimber visited the United Kingdom. The American Anti-Slavery Society sent Lucretia Mott, a prominent local abolitionist, as a delegate to London.
Mary’s father accompanied her on the trip to England. So, in May 1840, they boarded a ship leaving America together. There were a lot of abolitionists on board, mostly men. Throughout most of their journey, which lasted a long time in those days, they debated whether or not women should participate in the meeting. Finally, even Mary’s father argued for the exclusion of women. They were still allowed to attend the convention in London, but they were sat apart and could not express their thoughts.
After returning home, Mary continued to advocate for the abolition of slavery. She wrote extensively on the subject and gave public speeches. In 1853, the woman spoke at a meeting of the Female Anti-Slavery Society. In 1869, she attended a meeting of the Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage Association and delivered a brilliant speech.
Mary was not only an exceptional public speaker but also a skilled writer. She was among the first women to establish herself in this field and started publishing and participating actively in local journalism. Specifically:
- she was the editor of the Pennsylvania Freeman newspaper
- in 1854, this publication merged with the National Anti-Slavery Standard, and Mary continued to serve as a correspondent in Philadelphia
- she also wrote the annual reports of the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society, which were eventually published as separate collections.
When the group disbanded in 1870, Mary Grew took over the task of documenting its activities over the preceding 37 years. She had a good writing style and documented a lot of important information about the fight for the abolition of slavery in America, including the participation of women in this process.
Fight for women’s suffrage
When American delegates were discriminated against on a visit to London in 1840, it sparked the idea of fighting for women’s rights. The abolition of slavery debate proceeded, but women, both white and black, continued to be oppressed in society.
Conventions for the empowerment of women have started to be organized. Lucretia Mott and Mary Grew spearheaded this movement. In 1848, the latter lobbied in the Pennsylvania legislature for the Married Women’s Property Act to be passed.
Later, Mary and her fellow activists took up the fight for women’s suffrage. To coordinate this movement, she established the Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage Association, which she directed for 23 years.
Many men opposed and demanded a foundation granting women such a right. In this regard, Mary shared the views with Lucretia Mott. They believed that women should have the right to vote, regardless of how or if they would utilize it.
It is worth mentioning that Mary’s father became increasingly opposed to granting women the right to vote, as well as expanding their property and other rights. When the annual National Women’s Rights Convention was held in Philadelphia in 1854, her father spoke up and debated fiercely with Lucretia Mott. He argued that men are more authoritative, and women do not require empowerment.
Mary was also present, but she could not influence her father, nor could she agree with him. In 1870, she served as chairman of the Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage Association. So she continued activities alongside other bold women. They accomplished a great deal during the course of their lives, and women gradually began to emerge from the shadow of men.
Mary took part in the activities of the Unitarian church, where she also occasionally preached. She also gave speeches in other churches and took every chance to share her thoughts and beliefs with both women and men.
Personal life
Not only the public activities of Mary Grew were bold at the time but also was her personal life. Her life companion since the mid-1830s was Margaret Jones. The women were really close friends. At the same time, Margaret had an admirer, Cyrus Burleigh, who worked with Mary at the Philadelphia Freeman newspaper. Subsequently, the man fell ill with tuberculosis, yet Margaret married him in 1855.
The man died a month after the marriage. Following that, Margaret and Mary went on a tour of New England together. They lived the rest of their lives together, signing letters as “Mary & Margaret.”
Margaret passed in 1891, and Mary received condolences as if she were a widow. She died in Philadelphia on October 10, 1896, and in her memoirs, she defined her relationship with Margaret as one of husband and wife. It was incredibly daring for society at the time, but Mary Grew worked hard her entire life to live openly and follow her feelings.
This was Mary’s life path and contribution to the American abolitionist and women’s rights movements. It was a busy and difficult activity, but Mary was able to accomplish a great deal and live her life as she thought it right.