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Out of the abundance of the heart: Sarah Ann Parker Remond's quest for freedom
Abstract
In nineteenth-century New England, Sarah Remond was one of many who distinguished themselves as ardent supporters of freedom and justice as members of the abolitionist movement. Although her name is less familiar, her contributions were most significant. This dissertation examines the role Sarah Remond played in the abolitionist movement. One of a few African-American female lecturers, she made her greatest contributions to the cause in the British Isles. Going beyond moral issues of slavery and immediate emancipation, Remond was also aware of the larger problems affecting all people of color in the United States; problems of prejudice and discrimination. This work examines the circumstances in Sarah Remond's life that contributed to her views and influenced her actions. It provides evidence of the impact of prejudice and discrimination on Remond's decisions. Additionally, it chronicles the Salem, Massachusetts, community and her family's influence there. The Remond family was a cohesive unit, bound by a spirit of enterprise and a strong sense of the rights of individuals which was kept alive for three generations. The family also embraced a strong activist tradition that reached beyond the confines of their immediate surroundings. Remond accepted an invitation to lecture in the British Isles in the late 1850s. Her arrival there came at a time when English interest in American slavery had waned. However, Sarah Remond's oratorical skills drew attention. Her use of feminist/familial arguments garnered support from British women. Remond's impact on the British abolitionist movement, and the contacts she made while residing there, are also studied. There were others who added their voices to the abolitionist cause, some of whom were Remond's models and contemporaries. They are also reviewed here in light of Remond's life circumstances and contributions to abolitionism. This work describes the life of Sarah Remond and her participation in a reform movement directed at abolishing slavery. It reflects on the effects of familial activism and cohesion on the choices she made in life. It chronicles her separation from patriarchal institutions represented in Antebellum American social and family life.
Subject Area
American history|Womens studies|Black history|African Americans
Recommended Citation
Brownlee, Sibyl Ventress, "Out of the abundance of the heart: Sarah Ann Parker Remond's quest for freedom" (1997). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9737509.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9737509