Fall River Female Anti-Slavery Society facts for kids

The Fall River Female Anti-Slavery Society was a group in Fall River, Massachusetts, that worked to end slavery. It started in 1835. This was the second group of its kind in the city. Elizabeth Buffum Chace (1806–1899) was one of its founders.

How the Society Started

This group formed after a disagreement in an older society called the "Fall River Anti Slavery Sewing Society." The problem was about who could join. Three free Black women wanted to become full members. Some white members did not want them to join.

Elizabeth Buffum Chace believed the Black women should be allowed to join. She said the people who disagreed cared too much about old customs. They were happy to help the Black women in other ways but did not think it was "proper" for them to join the society.

Elizabeth Buffum Chace and her sisters supported the Black women. They allowed them to become members. The members who did not agree left the society. The group then changed its name to the "Fall River Female Anti-Slavery Society." The original group wanted to end slavery. But Elizabeth Buffum Chace and her sisters also wanted to end all unfair practices against Black people, not just slavery.

What the Society Did

The Fall River Female Anti-Slavery Society often held special sales to raise money. These sales were called AntiSlavery Fairs. They sold handmade items like sewn and embroidered goods with anti-slavery messages. They sold these items in Fall River or in Boston.

Another way they raised money was by asking other women in Fall River for donations. This money helped them print and share more anti-slavery writings.

The group also read and discussed anti-slavery texts together. They often did this while sewing or embroidering. These activities were seen as more acceptable for women at the time than fundraising. The society also created a petition to send to Congress. They also asked other women in Fall River, as wives, mothers, and daughters, to learn the truth about slavery in the South. They especially wanted women to know what was happening to enslaved women.

Working with Other Groups

A member from the Fall River Female Anti-Slavery Society attended a big meeting in May 1838. This meeting was called the Anti-Slavery Convention of American Women. Many women from different anti-slavery groups met in Pennsylvania. They talked about the rights of African-American women and how to end slavery.

Sarah G. Buffman was the delegate from Fall River. She was one of the four secretaries for the convention. In this role, she signed all three statements made by the group.

Another delegate from Fall River, Laura Lovell, shared what happened at the convention. She reported that different people spoke, including a free African American man who told his story. Poetry was also read at the meeting.

The Fall River society also connected with other female anti-slavery groups in New England. These included the New Bedford Female Anti Slavery Society and the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society. They communicated through letters, for example, between Elizabeth Buffum Chace and Maria Weston Chapman, who led the Boston society.