I became interested in Theodore Weld when I learned that he started on his path to prominence as a leading abolitionist in our small village in Central New York. I prepared a paper for the Oneida County Historical Society describing his connections with two other notable reformers of the times coming from this area: Rev. Charles Finney and Rev. George Gale. Weld was an organizer and a mesmerizing orator on mid-century reforms like temperance and the manual labor in education. But, he is most known today as a tireless campaigner for abolition. He was the principal agent of the American Anti-Slavery Society, and collaborated with the leading lights of the movement -- Garrison, Philips, Gerrit Smith, Stuart, the Tappan brothers and others. He perhaps has received lesser historical recognition today because he scrupulously avoid the public limelight, but he was truly a giant in the major reform of the era.

In researching Weld, I learned about the Grimke sisters, Angelina and Sarah, from South Carolina who, having witnessed slavery first hand on their plantation, were so repulsed that they moved north and became active in the movement. These women were far ahead of the times in their public activism. They lectured and wrote extensively. They were subjected to considerable criticism from the public and press, not only because of opposition to abolitionism, but, many respects, because they were women who purposely and aggressively presented themselves openly. When Angelina married Weld, the couple, along with unmarried Sarah, continued to work tirelessly to fight slavery. Their partnership, based on equal respect, was a powerful one that made their advocacy even more influential. Angelina's rejection of the dominate notion that the proper sphere of women reached only to the domestic realm, when, in fact, she could contribute intellectually and practically to politics and social reform, was radical for the times and certainly prescient of today's awareness.

Lerner's biography of the Grimke sister, now over 50 years old, is written from a feminist perspective drawing attention to their pioneering focus on women's rights. The Grimke's brought to light the stultifying impact of legal and social discrimination and massive male hegemony that pervaded attitudes in the 19th century. The author concludes rightly that the sisters' work preceded and set the stage for the emergence of the women's rights movement identified with Cady-Stanton, Stone, Mott and others. The sisters would stand high in the pantheon of abolition leaders, but our estimation of their influence is even greater knowing of their attention to women's rights.

I obtained this book from a used book website. I particularly like the ABE site. ( )

An excellently written biography of these little know pioneers in women's history. The text is easy-to-read, lively and interesting. I recommend to any women's history student or as a personal read for enjoyment. ( )

For a book assigned to be read for a university history class, I found the narrative to be very vibrant, bringing to life in my mind as I read what life in the south in the decades leading up to the Civil War was actually like. ( )