Addie L. Ballou facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Addie L. Ballou
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Addie L. Ballou
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| Born |
Adeline Lucia Hart
April 29, 1838 |
| Died | August 10, 1916 (aged 79) San Francisco
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| Resting place | Igo, California |
| Occupation | Poet, lecturer, social reformer, artist |
| Known for | Social Reform, Feminism, Prison Reform, Journalism, poetry, Public speaking, Notary Public, Painted Portraits |
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Notable work
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Driftwood, The Padre's Dream |
| Spouse(s) | Albert Darius Ballou (m. 1854, div. 1869) |
| Children | Edward Lull Ballou, Miner Hart Ballou, Myron Hamilton Ballou, Clarence Jefferson Ballou, and Evangeline Ellen Ballou-Happersberger |
| Parent(s) | Alexander Hamilton Hart and Mary "Polly" Eldridge |
Addie Lucia Ballou (April 29, 1838 – August 10, 1916) was an American woman who did many important things. She was a suffragist, which means she worked for women's right to vote. She was also a poet, artist, writer, and speaker.
Addie Ballou was very involved in the Spiritualist movement. This was a belief system that focused on communicating with spirits. She wrote and gave talks about it. She also cared deeply about helping people. She worked to improve prisons and help those who were struggling.
She supported Victoria Woodhull when Woodhull ran for President in 1872. This was a very early time for women in politics!
Later, when she moved to California, Addie continued her work. She kept writing and speaking about Spiritualism. She also kept fighting for women's voting rights. In 1891, she became the second woman in California to be a notary public. A notary public is someone who can legally witness signatures on important documents.
Addie also became a talented artist. She studied painting at the San Francisco School of Design. In 1897, she was asked to paint the official portrait of Henry Markham, who was the 18th governor of California.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Addie Ballou was born on April 29, 1838, in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Her parents, Alexander Hamilton and Mary "Polly" Hart, were among the first people to settle in that town. Addie was one of eight children.
When Addie was young, her mother passed away. Her family then moved to Wisconsin in 1849. Because of these changes, she only had about a year or two of formal schooling.
In Wisconsin, her family settled near Lake Winnebago. In 1853, her father was chosen as the Chairman of the new town of Lima (now Harrison). There, Addie met Albert Darius Ballou, who was the town clerk.
Addie Hart and Albert Ballou got married in Harrison on December 26, 1854. They had four sons and one daughter. The couple later divorced in 1869.
Civil War Nurse
Even though her children were very young, Addie Ballou wanted to help during the American Civil War. She became a nurse for the Union Army in Wisconsin. She worked in a camp with many sick and wounded soldiers.
She then went with the 32nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment to Memphis, Tennessee. There, people knew her as "The Little Mother" because of her caring nature.
Addie wrote many poems about her experiences during the Civil War. She was the only woman to be honored as a member of the James A. Garfield Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) unit in San Francisco. The G.A.R. was a group for Union Civil War veterans.
In 1892, she helped organize Civil War nurses into a new group. It was called the National Association of Army Nurses of the Late War. Addie was chosen as their first President. This group later became the National Association of Army Nurses of the Civil War.
Working for Change
After the war, Addie Ballou was very active in the Spiritualist movement. She also strongly supported women's right to vote. She often spoke at meetings for both Spiritualism and women's suffrage. In June 1870, she spoke alongside famous suffragist Susan B. Anthony in Chicago.
As the movement for women's voting rights grew, Addie went to Washington, D.C., in January 1872. She attended the National Woman Suffrage Convention. At this meeting, women presented a petition with 45,000 names to Congress. They demanded their right to vote, based on the 14th and 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Addie's poem "Song of Victory" was inspired by this event.
Addie was also a journalist and speaker. She talked about temperance (avoiding alcohol), women's suffrage, and prison reform. Her poems were published in newspapers across the country. She also published two books of her poetry: Driftwood and The Padre's Dream and Other Poems.
After her divorce in 1869, Addie traveled a lot. She gave talks and preached about Spiritualism. She was also given legal permission to perform marriage ceremonies.
In 1885, Addie traveled to Melbourne, Australia. She gave a series of lectures there. Thomas Welton Stanford, a wealthy art collector, invited her to stay at his mansion. She stayed for three years, studying psychic events and painting many artworks for his collection.
Addie Ballou also showed her artwork at the Woman's Building at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This was a big world's fair where women's achievements were highlighted.
Life in California
Addie Ballou first visited California in 1874. She continued her speaking and writing there. She also started studying painting with Virgil Williams at the San Francisco School of Design. She became a well-known artist.
Her portrait of Henry Markham, who was Governor of California from 1891 to 1895, hangs in the State Capitol building in Sacramento, California. She also painted portraits of many other important people, including Ulysses S. Grant, Abraham Lincoln, and Emperor Norton.
Addie was also known for painting beautiful landscapes and fruit.
She remained very active in groups that worked for political and women's reforms. She worked with Laura de Force Gordon in the California State Women's Suffrage Association. In 1891, Addie worked with Clara Foltz to pass a law that would allow women to become notaries. Clara Foltz became California's first female notary, and Addie Ballou became the second.
Addie Ballou had an office and art studio in San Francisco. When the 1906 earthquake and fires happened, she lost all her documents and paintings that were in her office. Luckily, her home was saved.
Addie L. Ballou passed away at her home in San Francisco on August 10, 1916. She is buried in an unmarked grave in her family's plot in Igo, California.
Published works
- Driftwood (1899)
- The Padre's Dream and Other Poems (1915)
See also
In Spanish: Addie L. Ballou para niños
