Mary E. Bibb facts for kids

Mary Elizabeth Bibb (born Mary Elizabeth Miles) was an important American teacher and leader who fought against slavery. She was born in 1820 and passed away around 1877 or in the early 1880s. Some people believe she was the first Black female journalist in Canada.

Mary Bibb was a teacher and worked to end slavery in the United States. She moved to Canada with her husband, Henry Bibb, after the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed. This law made it very easy for people to capture and enslave Black people, even those who were already free. In Canada, Mary Bibb started schools for Black Canadians. She also published a newspaper called Voice of the Fugitive and helped African Americans find new homes in Canada.

Early Life and Education

Mary Elizabeth Miles was born in Rhode Island around 1820. Her parents were free Black members of the Quaker faith.

She went to the Massachusetts State Normal School in Lexington. She finished her studies there in 1843. The school's principal, Samuel Joseph May, believed strongly in women's rights and education for Black people. He encouraged Mary to join the movement to end slavery.

Career and Family Life

Mary Bibb was one of the first Black women to become a teacher in North America. She taught in schools in Boston and Philadelphia. Education was very important for African Americans. It helped them get better jobs than low-paying work like cleaning shoes or washing clothes. Another female leader, Maria W. Stewart, also thought education was key. She believed it could help change how White people unfairly viewed Black people. Mary Bibb met many people who had escaped slavery. They shared their stories with her.

Teaching and Anti-Slavery Work

Later, Mary Bibb taught at Gilmore High School in Cincinnati. This school offered many subjects, including Latin, Greek, art, and music. It prepared students of all races for college. Mary became very involved in the fight against slavery. In 1847, she met Henry Bibb, who was an escaped slave and a leader against slavery.

Henry Bibb wrote about meeting Mary in his book. He said he was very impressed by her. He admired her work against slavery and her kindness. He quickly realized that their beliefs were very similar.

Mary became Henry Bibb's second wife in June 1848.

Moving to Canada

In 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act became law. This law made it easy for slave owners to catch people who had escaped slavery. It also allowed them to capture free Black people and force them into slavery. Because Henry Bibb was a well-known speaker against slavery, he was an easy target. Like many other African Americans, the Bibbs moved to Canada.

They first settled in Sandwich, which is now Windsor. The couple often welcomed people who had escaped slavery into their home. These people arrived in Windsor through the Underground Railroad. Between 1850 and 1860, about 20,000 Black people settled in Canada. Hundreds arrived in Sandwich every day, needing food, clothes, and a place to stay. The Bibbs asked for money from people like Gerrit Smith and the American Missionary Association. They wanted to start a school and a newspaper. These would help share information about the lives of African people and their escape from slavery.

Publishing Voice of the Fugitive

In 1851, Mary and Henry Bibb started a newspaper called Voice of the Fugitive. It was the first major newspaper for Black Canadians. Mary Bibb did much of the writing and publishing for this newspaper. She worked on it while her husband, Henry, was away giving speeches. She wrote articles and shared interviews with new arrivals in Canada. People noted that she gave the newspaper a very professional style. The Voice of the Fugitive was the first anti-slavery newspaper published in Canada by African Americans.

Helping Former Slaves and Later Life

Mary and Henry Bibb were leaders of the Refugee Home Society. This group helped former slaves settle in Canada. They provided land and helped build schools and churches. Mary taught at these schools, teaching both children and adults.

In 1851, the Bibbs organized a big meeting in Toronto. It was called the North American Convention. They discussed how free Black Americans and Canadians should respond to the Fugitive Slave Act.

Sadly, on October 9, 1853, the office where Voice of the Fugitive was printed burned down. Mary and Henry tried to restart the newspaper. But Henry died suddenly in the summer of 1854 when he was only 39 years old. In the late 1850s, Mary successfully opened a second school. She also helped start the Anti-Slavery Society of Windsor.

Mary Bibb married Isaac N. Cary on May 6, 1859. They were married in Wentworth, Ontario. Isaac was the brother-in-law of Mary Shadd Cary. Mary and Isaac adopted a daughter named Forella Tucker. From 1865 to 1871, Mary Bibb ran a store in Windsor. She sold women's accessories and clothes.

In the 1870s, Mary Bibb moved from Windsor to Brooklyn, New York. After the American Civil War ended, Isaac N. Cary went back to Washington, D.C. He worked as a marshall at the Police Court and was on the school board. In 1875, Mary Bibb had a building fixed up for a store in Washington, D.C. In 1880, Isaac N. Cary and his wife Mary E. Cary lived in Washington, D.C., with their adopted daughter Florilla Tucker.

Mary Bibb Cary passed away in Brooklyn, New York in 1877, or possibly before her husband's death in 1884. Isaac N. Cary died on October 10, 1884, in Washington, D.C.

Legacy

In 2005, the Canadian government recognized Mary and Henry Bibb as Persons of National Historic Significance. This means they were very important people in Canada's history.

In 2021, Sandwich Town Park in Windsor, Ontario, was renamed Mary E. Bibb Park. This was done to celebrate Black History Month.