Hovey Fund facts for kids
The Hovey Fund was a special fund created by Charles Fox Hovey (1807-1859). He was a successful businessman from Boston who cared deeply about making society better. He set aside $50,000 to support important causes like ending slavery (called abolitionism) and other social changes. These included fighting for women's rights, promoting peace, supporting fair trade, and encouraging people to avoid alcohol.
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What Was the Hovey Fund?
Charles Fox Hovey wanted his money to help these causes even after he was gone. He chose a group of trustees to manage the fund. The leader of this group was Wendell Phillips, a famous abolitionist. Hovey said that about $8,000 should be spent each year. This was to help with the most urgent needs of the time.
How the Fund Helped End Slavery
The Hovey Fund played a big part in the fight against slavery. For example, it paid Susan B. Anthony's salary. She earned $12 a week while working for the Women's Loyal National League. This group organized a huge petition drive. They asked Congress to pass an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would end slavery.
A Huge Petition Drive
This petition drive was massive. It collected 400,000 signatures. This was the largest petition drive in American history at that time. About one out of every twenty-four adults in the Northern states signed it. This effort greatly helped in passing the Thirteenth Amendment. This amendment officially ended slavery in the U.S. Constitution.
Supporting the Anti-Slavery Society
Before the American Civil War, Charles Fox Hovey was one of several Boston businessmen who gave money to the American Anti-Slavery Society. During and after the war, the Hovey Fund continued to support this society. It became harder to raise money, and the cost of printing anti-slavery newspapers went up.
After the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, the fund kept helping the Anti-Slavery Society. They then worked to get political rights for the newly freed slaves. The fund was very important in passing the Fourteenth Amendment and Fifteenth Amendments. These amendments gave African Americans citizenship and the right to vote.
A Disagreement Over the Fund
After the Thirteenth Amendment was approved in 1865, a disagreement about the fund started. Hovey's will stated that if slavery ended before all the money was used, the rest should go to other causes. These included the women's rights movement.
However, Wendell Phillips believed that slavery wasn't truly over until African Americans could vote. So, he continued to use much of the fund's money for that cause. Leaders of the women's movement were disappointed. They felt the money should have gone to them. They needed it badly for a big campaign in Kansas. This campaign, led by the American Equal Rights Association, aimed to get voting rights for all citizens, no matter their race or gender.
