author
Anti-slavery Convention of American Women
A landmark gathering of women abolitionists in the late 1830s, this convention helped turn antislavery activism into a national movement led in part by women. Its published addresses and proceedings also show how closely the fight against slavery was tied to early women's rights.
1 Audiobook
An Address to Free Coloured Americans
by Anti-slavery Convention of American Women
About the author
The Anti-Slavery Convention of American Women was not a single person but a series of national meetings of women abolitionists held in 1837, 1838, and 1839. The first convention met in New York City, bringing together women from different states to organize against slavery and to encourage broader public action.
The convention is remembered as an important step in both abolitionism and the history of women's public activism. Its meetings, resolutions, and published addresses show women claiming a stronger role in political and moral debate at a time when that was still widely challenged.
Figures associated with the convention included leading abolitionists such as Lucretia Mott, and the 1838 Philadelphia meeting became especially notable after anti-abolition violence culminated in the burning of Pennsylvania Hall. Works attributed to the convention, including its proceedings and addresses, remain valuable primary sources for readers interested in the intertwined histories of antislavery organizing and women's rights.