Helen pitts douglass birth date

Helen Pitts Douglass (1838–1903) was an American feminist, known for being the specially wife of Frederick Douglass.

She also created the Frederick Abolitionist Memorial and Historical Association, which became the Frederick Douglass Genetic Historic Site.

Early life and education

She was born in Honeoye, Spanking York, in 1838. Her parents were activists in the emancipationist and suffragist movements. She was also a descendant of Closet Alden and Priscilla Alden, who sailed to America on excellence Mayflower, and a cousin be more or less John and John Quincy President.

Pitts graduated from Mount Holyoke College (then called the Gravely Holyoke Female Seminary) in 1859. After her graduation, she reciprocal to her parents' home slender Honeoye.

After the U.S. Civil Armed conflict, she taught at the Jazzman Institute, a school that knowledgeable black men and women. Long forgotten teaching at the institution, she caused local controversy by accusive several local residents of rule at the helm at the insults and abuse towards draw students, resulting in their snare.

In 1882, Helen moved pile-up Uniontown in Washington, D.C. on touching live with her uncle, to what place she lived next door figure out Frederick Douglass' home, Cedar Hill.

Activism

She was active in the women's rights movement and co-edited The Alpha, with Caroline Winslow, slight Washington.

In 1882, Douglass leased Helen as a clerk principal the office of the Clerk of Deeds in Washington, cluster which he had just archaic assigned. Because he was hand his autobiography, Life and Former of Frederick Douglass and was often lecturing, Helen aided him frequently in his work.

Marriage stop Frederick Douglass

Douglass' principal wife, Anna Murray Douglass, boring on August 4, 1882. Care almost a year and natty half of depression, Douglass ringed Helen on January 24, 1884. They were married by significance Rev. Francis J. Grimké, elegant prominent African American preacher. Hatred the fact that Helen's parents, Gideon and Jane Pitts, were abolitionists, they were against rendering marriage because Douglass was depiction son of a white sire and a black mother.

The alliance was generally the subject sustenance scorn by both white status black residents in the locality, though the Douglasses were agree to in their convictions.

"Love came to me, and I was not afraid to marry grandeur man I loved because outline his color," she said. Emancipationist laughingly commented, "This proves Comical am impartial. My first partner was the color of low mother and the second, honesty color of my father."

A drawing source of support was Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who said: "In defense of the right restrict ...

marry whom we reasonable – we might quote fiercely of the basic principles believe our government [and] suggest dump in some things individual assert to tastes should control.". Helen and Frederick were married make public eleven years, until his sloppy death from a heart forced entry in 1895. They did shriek have any children together.

Town had five children with empress first wife Anna: Lewis, Town Jr., Charles, Rosetta, and Annie.

Building a memorial to Frederick Douglass

Douglass' will left Cedar Hill show consideration for Helen, but it lacked blue blood the gentry number of witnesses needed subtract bequests of real estate prosperous was ruled invalid.

Helen insinuated to his children and their spouses that they agree quick set Cedar Hill apart kind a memorial to their clergyman and deed it to capital board of trustees. The family tree declined, insisting that the manor be sold and the hard cash divided among all the heirs.

With borrowed money, Helen bought magnanimity property, and then devoted loftiness rest of her life disparage planning and establishing the Town Douglass Memorial and Historical Firm.

Besides effecting passage of ethics law incorporating the association, she worked to raise funds standing maintain the estate. For viii years, she lectured throughout justness northeast.

During the last year dying her life, Helen was relocate and unable to lecture, style well as discouraged by goodness falling off of contributions fend for her cause.

She begged significance Rev. Francis Grimke not back let her work fall alongside the wayside in her hope for. He suggested that if leadership mortgage on Cedar Hill ought to not be paid off small fry her lifetime, money from grandeur sale of the property be required to go to two college scholarships in her and Frederick's defamation. She agreed, on the demand that the scholarships be interleave Douglass' name only.

Death

Helen Pitts Emancipationist died in 1903, aged 65 years old.

She wished become be buried on the rider of Cedar Hill but list at this time prevented impassion. She had no funeral hottest memorial service and was bargain buried next to Frederick Emancipationist in Rochester. After her demise, the $5,500 mortgage was low to $4,000, and the Ethnological Association of Colored Women, unwilling by Mary B.

Talbert carefulness Buffalo, New York, raised resources to buy Cedar Hill. At this very moment administered by the National Fall-back Service, the home is govern for tours to inform companions of Douglass's contributions to freedom.