Sarah Moore Grimké facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sarah Moore Grimké
Born	November 26, 1792 Charleston, South Carolina
Died	December 23, 1873(1873-12-23) (aged 81) Hyde Park, Massachusetts
Occupation	Abolitionist, writer, feminist
Relatives	John Faucheraud Grimké (father) Thomas Smith Grimké (brother) Angelina Grimké (sister)
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Sarah Moore Grimké (born November 26, 1792 – died December 23, 1873) was an American abolitionist. An abolitionist is someone who wanted to end slavery. Many people believe she helped start the women's suffrage movement. This movement worked to get women the right to vote.

Sarah grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. Her family was wealthy and owned a large farm with many enslaved people. In the 1820s, she moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There, she became a Quaker, a type of Christian faith. Her younger sister, Angelina Grimké, also became a Quaker.

The Grimké sisters began to speak publicly against slavery. They shared what they knew about slavery from growing up with it. They urged everyone to end slavery. They also became important activists for women's rights.

Early life and education

Sarah Grimké was born in South Carolina. She was the sixth of 14 children. Her parents sometimes called her "Sally." Her father, John Faucheraud Grimké, was a rich farmer, a lawyer, and a judge. He was also a speaker in the South Carolina government.

Sarah's early life showed her how unfair education was for girls. She was very smart. But she could not get a full education like her brothers. She dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but this was seen as "unwomanly" for girls at that time. She had private teachers who taught her things like French and painting. Her father let her study history, math, and law books from his library. But he would not let her learn Latin.

Sarah's mother, Mary, was very involved in their community. She helped the poor and women in prison. But she was not very close to her children.

Sarah felt limited by her role. She became close to the enslaved people on her family's farm. When she was 12, she taught Bible classes to young enslaved children. She wanted to teach them to read the Bible themselves. But her parents said no. Teaching enslaved people to read was against the law in South Carolina since 1740. Her parents believed reading would make enslaved people unhappy and rebellious.

Sarah secretly taught Hetty, her personal enslaved girl, to read and write. But her parents found out. Her father was very angry. He almost had Hetty whipped. Sarah was afraid of causing trouble for the enslaved people. So she stopped teaching them. Years later, she wrote about how she secretly taught Hetty. She said they would read by firelight, hiding from her parents.

Sarah's brother, Thomas, went to Yale Law School. When he visited home, he taught Sarah new ideas. He talked about the importance of religion. These ideas, along with her secret law studies, helped her become an activist. Her father once told her that if she had been a man, she would have been a great lawyer. Sarah felt it was unfair that she could not get a higher education.

Sarah believed that religion should help those who suffered. She first joined the Presbyterian church in 1817. In 1821, she moved to Philadelphia and joined the Quakers. She became a strong supporter of education and voting rights for African Americans and women.

Becoming an activist

In 1817, Sarah's father became very sick. Doctors suggested he travel to Philadelphia for treatment. Sarah, who was 26, went with him as his nurse. They left South Carolina in May 1819. After a few weeks, her father died.

This experience made Sarah more confident and independent. She decided not to live in South Carolina anymore.

She stayed in Philadelphia for a few months. She met Israel Morris, who taught her more about the Quaker faith. Sarah returned to South Carolina but decided to go back to Philadelphia. She wanted to become a Quaker minister. However, the male leaders in the Quaker church often ignored her. This made her feel left out.

In 1827, she returned to South Carolina to convince her sister, Angelina, to leave the South. Angelina visited Sarah in Philadelphia and became a Quaker. After leaving South Carolina, Angelina and Sarah traveled around New England. They spoke about ending slavery. At first, they only spoke to women in homes and small churches. But their speeches about slavery and women's rights reached thousands of people. In 1829, Angelina joined Sarah in Philadelphia. They had always been very close. Angelina often called Sarah "mother" because Sarah had been her main caregiver.

In 1868, Sarah found out that her late brother had three sons with an enslaved woman. Sarah welcomed these sons into the family. She helped pay for the education of Archibald Grimké and Francis James Grimké. They both became successful and important leaders in the African-American community. The youngest son, John, was not interested in formal education and returned to the South.

Activism for equality

Sarah and Angelina hated slavery. They hoped their new Quaker faith would support their anti-slavery beliefs. But even in the Quaker community, their efforts to fight slavery caused problems. The sisters believed that fighting for women's rights was as important as fighting to end slavery.

Even some people who wanted to end slavery criticized them. They thought the sisters' ideas were too extreme. In 1836, Sarah wrote An Epistle to the Clergy of the Southern States. In 1837, her book Letters on the Equality of the Sexes and the Condition of Women was published. It first appeared in a Massachusetts newspaper. Then it was reprinted in The Liberator, an anti-slavery newspaper by William Lloyd Garrison. The letters were published as a book in 1838.

When the sisters were in Philadelphia, they did charity work. Sarah wanted to become a Quaker clergy member. But male church members kept discouraging her. Sarah realized that the church did not always live up to its promises. Around this time, more people started talking about ending slavery.

In 1836, Sarah joined her sister in the American Anti-Slavery Society. She felt like she had found a place where her ideas were welcome. But as she and Angelina spoke about both ending slavery and women's rights, they faced a lot of criticism. People thought it was "unwomanly" for them to speak to audiences that included both men and women. They also publicly debated men who disagreed with them. This was shocking to many people in 1837. Some even said the sisters were just "spinsters" (unmarried women) trying to find husbands.

In 1838, Angelina married Theodore Dwight Weld. He was a leading abolitionist. He had criticized the sisters for including women's rights in the anti-slavery movement. Angelina stepped back from public speaking after getting married. Sarah also stopped speaking publicly. Theodore Weld had written Sarah a letter saying her speaking was not helping the cause. However, Sarah still received many requests to speak in the following years. This suggests her speaking skills might not have been as bad as he claimed.

During the American Civil War, Sarah wrote and spoke in support of President Abraham Lincoln.

Sarah Moore Grimké wrote the first strong public argument for women's equality. She worked to end slavery in the United States. She also wanted to change Christian churches that she felt were not truly "Christian." And she fought against prejudice toward African Americans and women.

Her writings gave important arguments and ideas to other women's rights leaders. These included Lucy Stone, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucretia Mott. These ideas helped them end slavery and start the women's suffrage movement.

Sarah Grimké is known as both an abolitionist and a feminist. She challenged the Quaker church, which said it included women but then denied her. Through her work against slavery, she became more aware of the limits placed on women. She was so against being controlled by men that she refused to marry. Both Sarah and Angelina were very involved in the anti-slavery movement. They published many writings and letters on the topic. When they became well known, they lectured across the country. At that time, women usually did not speak in public meetings. So Sarah was seen as a leader in women's rights. She openly challenged the idea that women should only stay at home.

She is remembered on the Boston Women's Heritage Trail.

Views on faith and equality

Sarah Grimké's strong views against slavery came from her Quaker faith. Like her sister, she believed that slavery went against God's will. Her views on women's rights were also based on the Bible. She had strong opinions about the story of creation (Adam and Eve). She believed Adam and Eve were created as equals. This was different from many people who thought Eve was created only as a gift for Adam.

Sarah also blamed Adam more for "the fall" (when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit). She thought Adam was tempted by someone equal to him (Eve). But Eve was tempted by a supernatural evil. Sarah believed Eve's mistake was more forgivable because they were both innocent at first. This idea was a main point in her "Letter 1: The Original Equality of Woman." This letter is the basis for her views on equality between men and women. She discussed these ideas more in her book, "Letters on the Equality of the Sexes and the Condition of Woman."

Sarah Grimké used the Bible in most of her writings. This showed her dedication to the Quaker faith. It also showed her belief that faith and activism could work together. In 1837, Sarah responded to a "Pastoral Letter." This letter said that the Bible supported women only staying in the "private sphere" (at home). Sarah used the Bible to argue against this. She encouraged women to be brave and follow God's will. Her faith and closeness to God helped her be fearless when people opposed her. It also helped her argue strongly for women and enslaved people.

Writings

Sarah wrote many letters about women and their place in society, especially in the church. These letters were later put together into a book called Letters on the Equality of Sexes and the Condition of Women.

In these letters, she talked about the wrongs done to women that did not fit with the Bible. She also gave advice on how women should fight these issues. This book was published in 1838. But her writings and her sister's had been shared for years. This was because her sister's letters were published in The Liberator by William Lloyd Garrison.

In her first letter, dated January 11, 1837, she said she only used the Bible. She believed that "almost everything that has been written on this subject [women's role], has been the result of a misconception of simple truths revealed in the Scriptures." This showed her clear goal for her analysis. In these letters, she criticized American men for treating women and enslaved people only as a way to benefit themselves. Letters 5-8 looked at the condition of women in different countries. These included Asia, Africa, Greenland, and the United States. This showed how widely she was interested in women's issues.

Later, she stated that men were equally guilty in "the fall" (of Adam and Eve). Therefore, she argued that the eternal punishment given to women for their supposed irresponsibility was wrong. In the end of her letters, she admitted her ideas were new and striking for Christians. But she urged them to "investigate them fearlessly and prayerfully." This was typical of her writing and speeches.

See also

In Spanish: Sarah Moore Grimké para niños