SARAH GRIMKE 1792 1873 ABOLITIONIST AUTHOR AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVIST GRIMKE SARAH 1792 1873 ABOLITION FEMINISM AMERICAN CULTURE ANGELINA AND SARAH GRIMKE WERE BORN IN CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA ALTHOUGH THEIR FATHER WAS A SLAVEHOLDER BOTH DAUGHTERS DETESTED SLAVERY SARAH REBELLED AGAINST THE SOUTHERN LAW THAT FORBADE TEACHING SLAVES TO READ AND TAUGHT HER OWN MAID TO READ THE GRIMKE SISTERS EVENTUALLY BECAME QUAKERS AND MOVED TO THE NORTH THEY NEVER RETURNED TO LIVE IN THE SOUTH IN THE 1830S THE GRIMKES BECAME ACTIVE IN THE ANTISLAVERY MOVEMENT ANGELINA WROTE AN APPEAL TO THE CHRISTIAN WOMEN OF THE SOUTH 1836 SARAH WROTE EPISTLE TO THE CLERGY OF THE SOUTHERN STATES 1836 BOTH GRIMKES GAVE PUBLIC SPEECHES AGAINST SLAVERY SOMETIMES TO AUDIENCES OF MIXED RACES FEW WOMEN AT THE TIME WERE POLITICAL OR ABOLITION LEADERS AND THE GRIMKES ACTIONS CREATED A CONTROVERSY IN RESPONSE BOTH SISTERS ADDRESSED WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN A SERIES OF LETTERS TO AN ABOLITIONIST NEWSPAPER SARAH DEFENDED HER RIGHT TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST SLAVERY IN 1838 ANGELINA PUBLISHED A PAMPHLET TITLED LETTERS ON THE EQUALITY OF THE SEXES AND THE CONDITION OF WOMAN THE GRIMKES EVENTUALLY LINKED THEIR WORK IN THE ANTISLAVERY AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS MOVEMENTS IN 1838 ANGELINA MARRIED NOTED ABOLITIONIST THEODORE WELD SHE SOON GAVE UP PUBLIC SPEAKING BECAUSE OF POOR HEALTH SARAH RETIRED SHORTLY AFTER HER SISTER DID
