Ezra Heywood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ezra Heywood
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| Born |
Ezra Hervey Heywood
September 29, 1829 United States
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| Died | May 22, 1893 (aged 63) United States
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| Occupation | Activist, abolitionist |
| Spouse(s) | Angela Heywood |
Ezra Hervey Heywood (September 29, 1829 – May 22, 1893) was an important American activist. He worked hard to end slavery and believed everyone should have equal rights. He was especially passionate about equal rights for women. Heywood also had unique ideas about how society should work.
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What Ezra Heywood Believed
Ezra Heywood thought it was unfair that a few people had most of the money and power. He believed this happened because the government gave special advantages to certain groups. He felt this made it harder for everyone else to succeed.
Ideas About Rent and Land
Heywood had strong opinions about renting buildings. He thought that once a building was fully paid for, the owner should not make a profit from rent. He believed rent should only cover costs like insurance and repairs.
He even suggested that if a renter took great care of a building, the owner might owe them money! This was because the renter's care saved the building from getting old and damaged. Heywood also believed it was wrong for people to own large amounts of land that they were not using.
Ezra Heywood's Activism
Heywood was very active in sharing his ideas. He wrote many pamphlets and reprinted works by other thinkers like Josiah Warren and William B. Greene. His writings helped spread his unique views on how society should be organized.
Starting the New England Labor Reform League
In 1869, Heywood helped start a group called the New England Labor Reform League. He co-founded it with another activist, William Batchelder Greene. This group wanted to end unfair laws and customs that hurt honest businesses.
The League supported "free contracts, free money, free markets, free transit, and free land." This meant they wanted people to have more freedom in how they worked, earned money, and used resources.
Fighting for Women's Rights and Free Speech
Heywood was a strong supporter of women's suffrage, which means he believed women should have the right to vote. In 1872, he started editing a magazine called The Word. He published it from his home in Princeton, Massachusetts.
Heywood faced challenges for his work. He was found guilty of breaking a law from 1873. This law tried to control what people could publish. He was sent to prison for two years.
However, many people protested his arrest. They believed in free speech and thought Heywood should be released. After six months, President Rutherford B. Hayes pardoned him. This meant Heywood was set free.
Even after his release, Heywood was arrested four more times for his activism. He sadly passed away from tuberculosis within a year of his last release from prison.
Personal Life
Ezra Heywood met his wife, Angela Heywood, because they both worked to end slavery. They had four children together. Their names were Psyche, Angelo, Vesta, and Hermes.
See also
