Angelina and Sarah Grimke

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The Lives of Angelina and Sarah Grimke Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, the chances of coming across a white abolitionist were pretty slim. The chances of coming across a white abolitionist who was also female were almost impossible. Angelina and Sarah Grimke defeated these odds by speaking to mixed crowds on a daily basis. These two sisters published some of the most powerful anti-slavery tracts of their era, even if it meant going against the beliefs of their father. Angelina and Sarah’s had unique experiences with slaves. Growing up in a household that had slaves, they continuously saw their slaves being beaten and whipped. At age five, Sarah tried to board a steam boat to escape to a place where there was no slavery. She also taught her personal slave to read at night. Sarah also dreamt of becoming a lawyer and following in her father’s footsteps. This dream was later dismissed, however, because her parents forbade her to study because she was female. This led Sarah to strengthen her beliefs of anti-slavery even more. In 1835, Sarah became an abolitionist. Angelina later followed in her older sister’s footsteps. Angelina Grimke decided to publicly express her dislike for slavery a few years after joining the Society of Friends in 1819. She wrote a letter against slavery, and it was published in William Lloyd Garrison’s newspaper, The Liberator, in 1835. This action influenced Sarah by publishing An Epistle to the Clergy of the Southern States. These pamphlets were later publicly burned. They were then told they would be arrested if they ever tried to return to South Carolina. Sarah and Angelina then decided to move beyond speeches about slavery. After moving to New York and becoming the first women to lecture for the Anti-Slavery Society, the two sisters were attacked by religious leaders, who disapproved of women speaking in public. This launched
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