Read Part One HERE
In this post I will focus on a woman named Anne Knight. She lived from 1786 - 1862. She was born in Chelmsford, UK. Her parents were William Knight and Priscilla Allen. Her parents' families were both Quakers and several of their members took an active part in the temperance and anti-slavery movements.
In 1825 Anne was a member of the Chelmsford Ladies Anti-slavery Society when she toured Europe with a group of Quakers. By this time she had acquired a good knowledge of French and German and made friendships with Quakers in France and Germany that lasted until her death.
Anne supported full and immediate abolition of the slave trade without compensation for the slave owners. She also supported free trade and universal suffrage and campaigned fervently for womens' rights.
By 1830 Anne was deeply involved im the attempt by Quakers to end slavery and spent much of her time arranging public meetings, distributing leaflets and organising petitions.
As a member of the Chelmsford Ladies Anti-slavery Society, Anne worked with a number of abolitionists, including Elizabeth Pease. During this time she went to France several times. She asked George Thompson, a famous abolitionist orator, to undertake a speaking tour in France in 1834. He declined as he was too busy, so she undertook the tour herself addessing several French scientific congresses and numerous small gatherings. It appears that it was during this time that she began to consider what the role of women in reform activity should be.
Read Part Seventy-Four HERE
No comments:
Post a Comment