author
Sarah Grimké
1792–1873
Born into a wealthy slaveholding family in South Carolina, she became one of the 19th century’s clearest voices against slavery and for women’s rights. Her life story is full of moral courage, sharp writing, and a willingness to challenge the world she came from.
1 Audiobook
Letters on the equality of the sexes, and the condition of woman
by Sarah Grimké
About the author
Raised in Charleston, South Carolina, Sarah Moore Grimké turned away from the slaveholding society she had known since childhood. After moving to Philadelphia and joining the Quakers, she became deeply involved in the antislavery movement and began speaking and writing about the cruelty of slavery.
With her younger sister Angelina, she became famous for addressing large public audiences at a time when women were rarely welcomed as speakers. The Grimké sisters drew on their firsthand knowledge of slavery, and Sarah also argued that women deserved the same intellectual and moral freedom as men.
She is remembered not only as an abolitionist, but also as an early champion of women’s rights. Her work helped connect the fight against slavery with the fight for equality, making her an important figure in American reform history.