Stephen Symonds Foster facts for kids
Stephen Symonds Foster (born November 17, 1809 – died September 13, 1881) was a brave American abolitionist. He was known for his strong and direct way of speaking in public. He also spoke out against churches that did not fight against slavery. When he married Abby Kelley, his energy also helped the fight for women's rights. He supported the temperance movement, which aimed to reduce alcohol use. Foster also spoke against any government, including his own, that allowed slavery.
Foster helped start the New Hampshire Anti-Slavery Society. He was part of a group called the 'New Hampshire radicals' within the larger American Anti-Slavery Society. In 1843, Foster wrote a book called The Brotherhood of Thieves; or A True Picture of the American Church and Clergy: A Letter to Nathaniel Barney, of Nantucket. This book was widely discussed and caused a lot of debate. At their home, Liberty Farm, Foster and his wife helped enslaved people escape to freedom in Canada through the Underground Railroad.
Early Life and Education
Foster was born in Canterbury, New Hampshire, on November 17, 1809. His parents, Sarah and Asa Foster, had twelve children, and Stephen was the ninth. His family went to the local Congregational church. They also took part in Canterbury's local anti-slavery group.
Foster first trained to be a carpenter. But at age 22, he decided to study to become a missionary. He went to Dartmouth College, where his brother Asa had also studied. There, Foster studied classic subjects like Greek and Latin. During this time, he became a strong supporter of abolitionism. In his third year, he invited Angelina Grimké, a famous anti-slavery speaker, to talk to the Young Men's Anti-Slavery Society.
During his last year, Foster was arrested. He was put in prison for not paying a small debt. Foster was shocked to find that people who owed money were locked up with criminals. He wrote a letter from prison to protest this unfair treatment. His letter was printed in a local newspaper. His friends helped him get out after two weeks. Foster's letter made many citizens angry. They later cleaned up the jail and passed a law. This new law stopped people from being imprisoned just for debt. After this, Foster worked even harder in school. He focused on his public speaking skills. He graduated in 1838 as one of the top students in his class.
After college, Foster went to Union Theological Seminary in New York City. There, the teachers told him he could not hold an anti-slavery meeting. He was offered money to stop talking about abolition. But Foster refused, saying he "could not be bought to hold his peace." In the spring of 1839, he left New York. He took a job as a traveling speaker for the New Hampshire Anti-Slavery Society.
Fighting Against Slavery
Foster was known for interrupting church services. He would speak out against organized religion. He believed churches were not doing enough to fight slavery. In 1841, his own Congregationalist church in Hanover, New Hampshire, removed him as a member.
In Portland, Maine, in 1842, Foster was hurt during a riot. People who supported slavery tried to stop Foster and another abolitionist, John Murray Spear, from speaking. A large crowd attacked them. Foster was hit many times on the head. His coat was torn in half. Women from the Portland Anti-Slavery Society pulled him away. They helped him escape through a back window. Spear was badly beaten. Local abolitionists took both men in and helped them recover.
In 1843, Foster wrote his book The Brotherhood of Thieves. In 1844, his friend Parker Pillsbury published it. The book was printed twenty times. In 1844, Foster spoke at the New England Antislavery Convention. He held an iron collar and manacles (handcuffs) in his hands. He said, "Behold here a specimen of the religion of this land, the handiwork of the American church and clergy." He meant that the church supported slavery.
Foster and Abby Kelley Foster helped restart the Michigan Anti-Slavery Society in 1853. They worked with other famous abolitionists like Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass. The state society had first been started in 1836.
Foster was called a "come-outer". This meant he disagreed with common religious ideas. More specifically, it meant Foster would not join a church that stayed neutral on slavery. He also would not take part in a government that allowed slavery. This idea came from a Bible verse. It said to "come out from among them, and be ye separate."
At a meeting in Rutland (town), Vermont, in June 1858, Foster spoke strongly. He said that any law, government, or church that allowed slavery deserved "the scorn and contempt of mankind."
Marriage and Family Life
In 1845, after knowing each other for four years, Foster married Abby Kelley. She was a more famous social activist and a powerful speaker. They often spoke together on the abolitionist lecture circuit. They continued to travel and speak until the Civil War began in 1861.
In early 1847, they bought a farm in Worcester, Massachusetts. They called it Liberty Farm. They lived there until Foster's death in 1881. The Fosters used their farm to help enslaved people escape. It was a safe stop on the Underground Railroad.
On May 19, 1847, their only child, Paulina Wright "Alla" Foster, was born at Liberty Farm. At first, Abby Kelley Foster stayed home to care for their baby. Her sister-in-law Caroline Foster sometimes helped. Soon, the parents found they could lecture separately or together. They just needed someone to look after Alla. Often, Abby Kelley Foster would leave her husband to watch their daughter.
Once, when Alla was three, her mother was away speaking. Alla asked her father to buy her a harmonica and a churn. Foster told her he had little money. He could only buy her things she needed. Foster himself was about to leave for a speaking trip. He planned to send Alla to stay with her grandparents. He thought she might be lonely and need a toy wagon. Foster wrote to his wife about it. He said, "I got the harmonica & wagon, & received for them a whole wagon load of kisses." He also noted that Alla always saved some kisses "for mother." He was amazed that she always insisted her mother had a right to an equal part of everything he had. He felt she was specially tasked to look after her mother's rights when she was away.
Fighting for Women's Rights
In May 1850, Abby Kelley Foster went to Boston. She attended an annual Anti-Slavery Society meeting. Afterward, Abby met with ten other people. These included Wendell Phillips, William Lloyd Garrison, and Lucy Stone. They planned a women's rights convention. They decided it would be held near Liberty Farm in Worcester.
That October, both Foster and his wife were main speakers at the first National Women's Rights Convention. They spoke again at the yearly convention in Cleveland in 1853. They also spoke in New York in 1856.
In 1869, there were disagreements among women's rights activists. Foster spoke at a national meeting of the American Equal Rights Association (AERA). He accused Elizabeth Cady Stanton of supporting "Educated Suffrage." This meant the right for upper-class white women to vote. Foster strongly suggested that Stanton should step down as president of AERA.
Henry Brown Blackwell tried to calm the situation. He said that everyone there, including Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, believed in "negro suffrage" (the right for Black men to vote). Frederick Douglass then spoke. He said he was against Stanton using the offensive term 'Sambo' in her speech. The words of Foster and Douglass showed a big split. Women's rights activists divided into two groups. One group, like Stanton and Anthony, felt that educated women should vote first or at the same time as uneducated men. The other group, like Stone, Douglass, and Foster, felt that Black men should get the right to vote first. After that, they could focus on voting rights for all women.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1874, officials in Worcester tried to sell Liberty Farm. They wanted to collect unpaid taxes. Like other women's rights activists, the Fosters refused to pay taxes on their 65-acre farm. They did this because Abby Kelley Foster was not allowed to vote. She believed in "taxation without representation" (no taxes without the right to vote). A kind neighbor bought the property. Then, he allowed Foster to buy it back from him. This became a yearly event. The Fosters never paid their taxes directly.
Foster died at Liberty Farm on September 12, 1881. A memorial service was held on September 24. It took place at the Worcester Horticultural Hall. Reverend Samuel May, Jr. led the service. Many people spoke about Foster's life and work. These included Lucy Stone, Wendell Phillips, and Parker Pillsbury.
