Birmingham Ladies Society for the Relief of Negro Slaves facts for kids
The Birmingham Ladies Society for the Relief of Negro Slaves was a very important group of women in England. They started in Birmingham on April 8, 1825. This group was special because it was the first anti-slavery society created just for women. They wanted to help end slavery and were sometimes called the Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society.
Fighting for Freedom
This society played a big part in the movement to end slavery in the British Empire. They worked to free people who were forced into slavery, especially those of African descent.
Who Started the Society?
The first leaders, called joint secretaries, were Lucy Townsend and Mary Lloyd. Other important women who helped start the group included Elizabeth Heyrick, Sophia Sturge, and Sarah Wedgwood. These women were passionate about ending the terrible practice of slavery.
How They Grew
The Birmingham Ladies Society was supported by a larger group called the Society for the Mitigation and Gradual Abolition of Slavery Throughout the British Dominions, also known as the Anti-Slavery Society. This support helped them in their mission.
Around 1830, the Birmingham Ladies Society changed its name to the Female Society for Birmingham. Their idea of women organizing to fight slavery spread quickly. By 1831, there were more than seventy similar anti-slavery groups formed by women across the country. This showed how powerful women's voices became in the fight for freedom.
