Overview
Maria W. Stewart was a vital figure within the nineteenth century, challenging both race and gender. She argued for many African Americans' rights to be free as well as pressed women to become more involved in society. Her speeches and writings played a major role in paving the way for later civil rights movements. She inspired future generations of activists to challenge the norms of her time.
Stewart was a pioneering figure because she was an activist, writer, and speaker in the 19th century known as the first African American women in the U.S. to publicly advocate for racial and gender equality. She was born in 1803 in Connecticut, as Maria Miller before she got married. She faced many hardships as an orphan and an indentured servant. Despite her lack of access to formal education, she developed self-taught knowledge using books.1
Stewart emerged as an innovative voice in women's rights advocacy by applying her Christian faith to inspire this activism. She delivered many speeches to predominantly Black audiences in Boston, Massachutes that challenged enslavement. Her speeches and writings critiqued racial discrimination but also the exclusion of women in her community.2
Stewart still received a great deal of disapproval despite her tireless efforts. She would later relocate to New York and then Washington, D.C., where she continued to influence, teach, and write. Maria passed away in 1879, however, her legacy lasts and she remains a critical figure in history.2
1 “Maria W. Stewart (U.S. National Park Service),” National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/people/maria-w-stewart.htm.
2 Maria W. Stewart and Marilyn Richardson, "Maria W. Stewart: America's First Black Woman Political Writer".(Indiana University Press, 1987)https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=noSOhOOsNuUC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=Maria+stewart&ots=txxByDSpRF&sig=sy9GQMzMLJsjncVBNn6jIrmkZ90#v=onepage&q=Maria%20stewart&f=false
