Edwin Weyburn Goodwin facts for kids

Edwin Weyburn Goodwin (born October 1800 – died September 13, 1845) was an American artist. He painted small portraits called miniatures, and also larger portraits. He worked in upstate New York. He was also the father of another famous painter, Richard La Barre Goodwin. Edwin was a strong supporter of ending slavery. He even helped people escape slavery through the Underground Railroad. He also published a newspaper against slavery called The Tocsin of Liberty.

Early Life and Family

Edwin Goodwin was born in Ovid, New York, in October 1800. He mostly taught himself what he knew. He was married twice. His first wife was Almira Ives. They had five children together. After she passed away, he married Almira LaBarre in May 1839. They had three children.

Goodwin lived in several towns in New York, including Dryden, Ludlowville, Auburn, and Albany, New York. His son, Richard La Barre Goodwin, became a well-known painter of landscapes, still-life scenes, and portraits.

Becoming an Artist

Goodwin first worked as a merchant. But when he was 29, he decided to become a painter. He started painting portraits, including very small ones called miniatures. He studied painting in New York City with an artist named Anthony Lewis De Rose. His artwork was shown for the first time at the National Academy of Design in 1836.

During his career, Goodwin painted about 800 portraits. Some of the people he painted were important anti-slavery activists. These included President Martin Van Buren, William H. Seward, DeWitt Clinton, James G. Birney, and Gerrit Smith.

Helping Others: The Underground Railroad

In 1835, Goodwin moved to Albany, New York. There, he ran a station for the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network of safe houses and routes. It helped enslaved people escape to freedom in the North and Canada. People seeking freedom would come to Goodwin's house from other safe houses. From his home, they would travel across Lake Ontario to Canada.

Fighting for Freedom: Abolitionist Work

Edwin Goodwin was a very strong supporter of ending slavery, which is called abolitionism. He also believed strongly in temperance, meaning avoiding alcohol. Around 1843 or 1844, he took over The Tocsin of Liberty. This was an anti-slavery newspaper in Albany. He also drew pictures for other anti-slavery newspapers like the Albany Patriot.

Goodwin gave many speeches in New York state about freeing enslaved people and about temperance. In 1837, he gave a speech called "Don't Bring it into the Church." Because of this speech, his church, the Methodist Episcopal Church of Auburn, New York, disciplined him.

Legacy and Collections

Edwin Weyburn Goodwin passed away in 1845 in Ithaca, New York. He was buried at Asbury Cemetery in Lansing, New York.

Today, some of his artwork is kept at the Genesee Country Village and Museum. His personal papers and records are stored at the Smithsonian Institution.

Images for kids

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  Rachel Smith by Edwin Weyburn Goodwin