Posted on December 17, 2018
I love celebrating people's accomplishments on their birthdays - even if they've been dead for a century or more. It's a nice time to remember their life, on the anniversary of their birth.
But for some people, especially people who lived long ago, we don't know their birthday. So then I sometimes celebrate their life on the anniversary of their death.
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| Apparently this is NOT a photo of Maria W. Stewart - because there is not known photo of her! The reason this is here is because this photo was incorrectly labeled as a photo of Ms. Stewart; thank you to the reader who pointed out the mistake. I am leaving the photo up so that we can ALL learn that the internet has its foibles! This photo depicts Sarah Harris Fayerweather, an African American activist, abolitionist, and school integration pioneer! |
However, that didn't necessarily mean her life was easy. When she was just five years old Maria Stewart lost both her parents. So she was sent to live with a minister and his family, and she lived with them as a servant (I'm not sure how early they pressed a duster into her hand, but hopefully not at age 5!). She was not given any formal education until age 15, when she was allowed to attend Sabbath School one day a week. As you can imagine, growing up within a minister's household and learning mostly at religious classes, Stewart became very devout - which means she had strong religious beliefs.
As a 20-something year old woman, Stewart married - but her husband died just three years later! And some people cheated her out of inheriting anything from him.
However, Stewart didn't lie around and feel sorry for herself. Instead, she became a teacher, journalist, lecturer, head matron of a hospital, abolitionist, and women's rights activist!
Check out some of her accomplishments:
Maria W. Stewart was the first American woman known to have spoken to a mixed audience of men and women, black and white.
She was the first African American woman known to have given public lectures.
She was the first African American woman known to have given a lecture about women's rights.
She was the first African American woman known to have made a public speech against slavery.
Hooray for Stewart's courage to speak out!
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