author
Anna E. (Anna Elizabeth) Dickinson
1842–1932
A fiery young speaker who became one of the most famous lecturers of the Civil War era, she used her voice to argue for abolition, women’s rights, and political change. Her life later took sharp turns into writing, acting, and public controversy, making her a strikingly vivid figure in 19th-century America.
1 Audiobook
What Answer?
by Anna E. (Anna Elizabeth) Dickinson
About the author
Born in Philadelphia in 1842 to a Quaker family, Anna Elizabeth Dickinson rose to prominence while still very young. After her father died, she helped support her family, and by her teens she was already speaking in public. Her speeches against slavery and in support of the Union won national attention during the Civil War.
Dickinson became known as a gifted and forceful orator, and she is remembered as the first woman to give a political address before the United States Congress. She lectured widely on abolition, Reconstruction, and women's rights, drawing large crowds and becoming one of the best-known female speakers of her time.
Her career later widened into writing and the stage. She published books and plays and tried acting, though her later years were more difficult and less celebrated than her early triumphs. Even so, her bold public career helped expand what women could do in American political and intellectual life.