Anna E. (Anna Elizabeth) Dickinson

Born in Philadelphia in 1842, Anna Elizabeth Dickinson grew up in a Quaker family that opposed slavery. After her father's death, she helped support her family while developing a talent for public speaking that quickly drew attention.

During the Civil War era, she became one of the country's best-known lecturers. She spoke passionately for abolition and equal rights, campaigned for the Republican cause, and made history as the first woman to give a political address before the United States Congress. Her fame later carried her onto the stage as a writer and actress as well as a lecturer.

Dickinson remained active in public life for decades, even as her celebrity faded. Today she is remembered as a trailblazing orator whose career expanded what many Americans thought a woman could do in politics and public debate.