After the burning of Pennsylvania Hall, in Philadelphia, the Welds, along with Sarah Grimké, retreated to a farm in Belleville, New Jersey, where in 1839, the three produced a compendium on American slavery. This compendium had such a tremendous impact for the abolition movement. After the publishing of the compendium, both Angelina and Theodore retired from public life, and raised a family. Theodore established two schools, where he and the Grimké sisters both taught. At the Eagleswood school in Massachusetts, students of all races and sexes were welcome to attend. Suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her husband held a close personal relationship with the Grimké-Weld family, and Sarah Grimké was a mentor to Stanton. Inexplicably, when Elizabeth Stanton wrote a history of the women’s rights movement, she failed to acknowledge the contributions of the Grimkés. In 1848, Stanton invited the Grimké sisters to the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, but the Grimkés did not attend. African Americans, with the exception of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, were not invited to attend, either.
The groundwork laid by the Grimké sisters paved the way for other southern women to pursue activism for both abolition and women’s rights. The Grimké family continued to prosper in the years following the Civil War.
After the burning of Pennsylvania Hall, in Philadelphia, the Welds, along with Sarah Grimké, retreated to a farm in Belleville, New Jersey, where in 1839, the three produced a compendium on American slavery. This compendium had such a tremendous impact for the abolition movement. After the publishing of the compendium, both Angelina and Theodore retired from public life, and raised a family. Theodore established two schools, where he and the Grimké sisters both taught. At the Eagleswood school in Massachusetts, students of all races and sexes were welcome to attend. Suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her husband held a close personal relationship with the Grimké-Weld family, and Sarah Grimké was a mentor to Stanton. Inexplicably, when Elizabeth Stanton wrote a history of the women’s rights movement, she failed to acknowledge the contributions of the Grimkés. In 1848, Stanton invited the Grimké sisters to the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, but the Grimkés did not attend. African Americans, with the exception of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, were not invited to attend, either.
The groundwork laid by the Grimké sisters paved the way for other southern women to pursue activism for both abolition and women’s rights. The Grimké family continued to prosper in the years following the Civil War.
Standards
- 5.2.CX Contextualize the post-war economic climate on the cultural landscape throughout the United States and South Carolina.
- 8.4.CO Compare perspectives toward reform that engaged during the Progressive Era.
- This indicator was designed to encourage inquiry into how new state and federal Progressive legislation affected individuals and businesses in South Carolina and the US. The indicator was designed to promote inquiry into the new perspectives that emerged regarding social and political change.
- 8.4.CX Evaluate South Carolinians’ struggle to create an understanding of their post-Civil War position within the state, the country, and the world.
- This indicator was developed to encourage inquiry into how the former planter class, African Americans, women, and others adjusted to, gained, lost, and/or regained position and status during Reconstruction. This indicator was also written to foster inquiry into how South Carolina worked with a stronger federal government and expanding international markets.
- USHC.3.CE Assess the causes and effects of significant turning points in the Populist and Progressive era from 1877–1924.
Resources
Grimké Sisters
The students will learn about the Grimke Sisters and their importance in history.
View LessonWhat Makes Up a Grimké Sister?
Prior Knowledge Needed: Students should be able to comfortably make inferences about characters in stories they are reading (character traits, intentions, predictions, etc.) Students should be able to...
View LessonRollin Sisters
The students will learn about the importance of the Rollin Sisters in history.
View LessonGirl Bill of Rights - Handout
This is an excellent video viewing document for Episode 1 of Sisterhood: SC Suffrage (Thee Grimke Sisters through the Civil War – Part 1). While viewing the video clip students can reflect and write...
View AssetThe Grimké Sisters Through The Civil War
Sarah and Angelina Grimké worked tirelessly for both abolition, and women’s suffrage. The Grimké sisters were the first to say, in print, that women deserved to live alongside men with an equal...
View AssetThe Grimké Sisters Through The Civil War
The Grimké sisters ran afoul of the Quakers as they embraced abolition and engaged in anti-slavery activities without permission. Angelina Grimké wrote a letter to abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison...
View AssetThe Grimké Sisters Through The Civil War
The pastoral letters, meant to crack down on the Grimké sisters’ activities, had the opposite effect. The Grimkés continued to grow in popularity, and their letters on women’s rights were among the...
View AssetRollins and Grimké Sisters Venn Diagram Handout
Students can use this document to compare and contrast the Rollins Sisters and the Grimké Sisters while viewing both videos.
View AssetWhat Makes A Grimké Sister? - Handout
With this handout students can use magazines, poster board, and any other creative things they can find to fill the silhouette with all the things that describe the Grimké Sisters.
View AssetSisterhood: SC Suffragists-Moving Forward, Part 1
The roles South Carolinians played in the Women’s Suffrage Movement have often gone unheralded. This program highlights the efforts of famous South Carolina suffragists, such as the Grimke sisters...
View AssetSisterhood: SC Suffragists-Moving Forward, Part 2
The panel discusses various issues women face today, such as why it is important for women to be on the ballot, and women’s representation in our government.
View AssetSisterhood: SC Suffragists-Moving Forward, Part 3
Host Beryl Dakers asks the panel why it took so long for women to gain equal rights in both the U.S., and in the state of South Carolina.
View AssetSisterhood: SC Suffragists-Moving Forward, Part 4
The panel discusses the issues women face when it comes to voter suppression.
View AssetSisterhood: SC Suffragists-Moving Forward, Part 6
Each member of the panel discusses what she feels are the most important issues America faces now, regarding voting rights.
View Asset
