Anna E. Dickinson was born on October 28, 1842, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to John and Mary Dickinson. The youngest of five children, Dickinson lived in a modest setting due to her family's Quaker faith. Her parents belonged to the local anti-slavery society, and brought their views home to their children.[1] John Dickinson passed away in 1844, when Anna was two years old, leaving his children fatherless and Mary a widow. Because he was the provider for the family, they had little to live on once he died. Mary Dickinson began teaching students in the family's home to earn money. Anna Dickinson's formal education ended at a young age; afterward, she took a job as a copyist to help provide for her family.[2]
Several aspects of Dickinson's education came from the visitors who passed through the family household. Included were famous abolitionists like Frederick Douglass and other Quakers. The family also had multiple books and access to newspapers spanning different topics.[3] Dickinson had solid political knowledge when she sent a letter to The Liberator in January of 1856 regarding a Kentucky teacher who had been tarred and feathered after writing an anti-slavery letter to a newspaper. She was only 13 at the time.[4]
Several aspects of Dickinson's education came from the visitors who passed through the family household. Included were famous abolitionists like Frederick Douglass and other Quakers. The family also had multiple books and access to newspapers spanning different topics.[3] Dickinson had solid political knowledge when she sent a letter to The Liberator in January of 1856 regarding a Kentucky teacher who had been tarred and feathered after writing an anti-slavery letter to a newspaper. She was only 13 at the time.[4]
In her letter to The Liberator, Dickinson emphasized the First Amendment right to freedom of the press. Noting the pride that Americans took in the Bill of Rights, Dickinson argued, "It is the boast of America that the press is free, -- free as the breath of heaven; that our citizens may avow their sentiments freely and firmly and without the shadow of fear."[5] If a person faced punishment for voicing their beliefs, Dickinson knew that would mean freedom of the press was not a reality in the United States. She feared that would lead others not to speak their true thoughts and opinions because they feared the same fate. At the end of the letter, Dickinson signed her name, "Anna E. D.," which meant not only that she embraced what she wrote, but that she wanted to show a woman authored the letter. [6]
Dickinson followed the example set by Lucretia Mott, a fellow Quaker who took part in 1800s reform movements, including women's suffrage, and abolition. Despite social norms, Mott believed herself spiritually equal with men, in keeping with Quaker egalitarianism. While Quakers did see men as superior in some cases, there were still more opportunities given to women, of which Mott took advantage. She delivered sermons throughout her time as an activist.[7] While Mott did not necessarily believe in female superiority, she argued that the degradation of the female sex was not the fault of women, but society. Lucretia Mott thought "that woman should disregard custom and religious tradition and attempt to define herself according to her God-given powers."[8] That was a powerful statement, arguing that women should step out of the strict expectations that society held them to and instead be defined by their actions. |
Partial Image of "Southern Outrages" The Liberator Feb 22, 1856
Courtesy of American Periodicals |
Lucretia Coffin Mott, c. 1842
Courtesy of The National Portrait Gallery William Lloyd Garrison, c. 1833
Courtesy of The National Portrait Gallery |
The philosophy of Lucretia Mott and Quaker egalitarianism allowed Dickinson to speak her mind and not shy away just because she was a member of what society considered to be the inferior sex. She briefly talked in front of an audience when she attended a debate about women's rights in January 1860.[9] At first, only a member of the audience, Dickinson responded to a man's assertion that his daughters were not suited to professions like the law or medicine because of their gender. Dickinson disagreed with that notion. Instead of staying silent and following the rules of debate, she stood and spoke against the man's statement. Her impromptu performance led to positive responses from the audience.[10]
Through her family's influence, Dickinson was an abolitionist, becoming an advocate for civil rights. At the same time, she was entering a movement that had plenty of disagreements internally. Two of the most famous abolitionists were William Lloyd Garrison of The Liberator, and Frederick Douglass, a former slave. The two men represented different parts of the abolitionist spectrum. Garrison was a pacifist who believed that one could abolish slavery through speeches and sermons conveying that slavery was morally a sin. Garrison's method did not include military force, unlike Douglass, who believed that the use of violence was granted, but only when necessary. Douglass had worked with Garrison, but in 1852 he broke with the newspaper editor after the Fugitive Slave Act, included in the Compromise of 1850. When Dickinson spoke about slavery in her lectures, she took a position between the views of Douglass and Garrison, leaning more toward Garrison. Later in Dickinson's career, Douglass would become her mentor and help secure bookings at different venues around the New England region for her to lecture.[11] Being a Quaker, Dickinson did not speak in favor of violence. However, by the time the Civil War broke out, she spoke against those who were anti-war. |
The beginning of the Civil War positively impacted Dickinson's career. Instead of sticking only to abolitionism or women's rights, Dickinson could now mention the current events of the war. One of her more famous criticisms was of General George McClellan following the Battle of Ball's Bluff.[12] The battle, which took place in October of 1861, was a loss for the Union Army against the Confederates.
President Lincoln had appointed McClellan following the Battle of Bull Run in July of 1861. Facing mounting pressure from Congress, he decided to move against the Confederates. However, 49 Union officers died and over 700 soldiers were captured at Ball's Bluff.[13] Radical Republicans criticized McClellan for his actions, partly acting harshly toward him because he was a Democrat. Dickinson asserted that General McClellan was guilty of treason.[14] Her statement was very controversial and impacted Dickinson because it caused her to lose her clerk job at the U.S. Mint Office in Philadelphia. However, it again showed that Dickinson believed in voicing her opinion above all else. Now that she didn't have her job at the U.S. Mint Office, public oratory was not a mere hobby for Dickinson like it had been before; instead, it was her profession.
President Lincoln had appointed McClellan following the Battle of Bull Run in July of 1861. Facing mounting pressure from Congress, he decided to move against the Confederates. However, 49 Union officers died and over 700 soldiers were captured at Ball's Bluff.[13] Radical Republicans criticized McClellan for his actions, partly acting harshly toward him because he was a Democrat. Dickinson asserted that General McClellan was guilty of treason.[14] Her statement was very controversial and impacted Dickinson because it caused her to lose her clerk job at the U.S. Mint Office in Philadelphia. However, it again showed that Dickinson believed in voicing her opinion above all else. Now that she didn't have her job at the U.S. Mint Office, public oratory was not a mere hobby for Dickinson like it had been before; instead, it was her profession.
As Dickinson gave lectures in Pennsylvania and parts of New England, it did not take long for Republicans running for state office in the region to notice her. Despite Dickinson making controversial statements at times, it was the reason why her audiences praised her. Because she was a Republican, she would be a valuable tool for the party to use, and that was why they asked her to stump during the 1863 elections. Dickinson agreed, for she knew the importance of each election and took her work seriously, despite the opposition’s allegations that she was merely an entertainer.[15] She voiced the Republican cause while vocally attacking the Copperhead Democrats for their sympathies towards the Confederacy.[16]
The most pivotal moment of Dickinson's career as a public orator was when she gave her January 16, 1864 speech in front of Congress, entitled "Perils of the Hour.". No doubt, the fact that she was loyal to the Republican cause during the 1863 election cycle was a reason for the invitation. At the same time, Dickinson was invited because she was unique. After all, she was one of only a few female public orators and was in demand, often holding lectures that were sold out or standing room only. In fact, in the 1864 speech, that was the case. Besides the president and congressmen, members of the cabinet, bureaucratic officials, and members of the press were also in attendance.[17]
After the Civil War ended, Dickinson continued to give lectures through the lyceum circuit and politics. Dickinson stumped for Benjamin Harrison, the Republican candidate, against the Democratic incumbent, Grover Cleveland during the 1888 election.[18] However, slowly Dickinson began to fall out of the spotlight. She tried her luck at writing novels and theatre acting, but neither worked out long term. Her mental and physical health began to deteriorate as time went on, and ultimately, she was committed to a mental hospital for a brief period. Once she was released, Dickinson spent the remainder of her days living with her friends, George and Sallie Ackley, until she died on October 22, 1932, at the age of 89.[19]
The most pivotal moment of Dickinson's career as a public orator was when she gave her January 16, 1864 speech in front of Congress, entitled "Perils of the Hour.". No doubt, the fact that she was loyal to the Republican cause during the 1863 election cycle was a reason for the invitation. At the same time, Dickinson was invited because she was unique. After all, she was one of only a few female public orators and was in demand, often holding lectures that were sold out or standing room only. In fact, in the 1864 speech, that was the case. Besides the president and congressmen, members of the cabinet, bureaucratic officials, and members of the press were also in attendance.[17]
After the Civil War ended, Dickinson continued to give lectures through the lyceum circuit and politics. Dickinson stumped for Benjamin Harrison, the Republican candidate, against the Democratic incumbent, Grover Cleveland during the 1888 election.[18] However, slowly Dickinson began to fall out of the spotlight. She tried her luck at writing novels and theatre acting, but neither worked out long term. Her mental and physical health began to deteriorate as time went on, and ultimately, she was committed to a mental hospital for a brief period. Once she was released, Dickinson spent the remainder of her days living with her friends, George and Sallie Ackley, until she died on October 22, 1932, at the age of 89.[19]
Footnotes
[1] J. Matthew Gallman. “Dickinson, Anna Dickinson (1842-1932).” In Women in the Civil War, edited by Lisa Tendrich Franks, 210-212. United Kingdom: ABC-CLIO, 2008. [WEB]
[2] Gallman America’s Joan of Arc, 1.1
[3] J. Matthew Gallman, America’s Joan of Arc, The Life of Anna Elizabeth Dickinson (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006), 9.
[4] Kathleen C. Berkeley, “Dickinson, Anna Elizabeth.” American National Biography. February 2000. [WEB]
[5] Anna E.D., “Southern Outrages” The Liberator (Boston, MA), February 22, 1856. [WEB]
[6] Anna E.D., “Southern Outrages.”
[7] Dana Greene, “QUAKER FEMINISM: The Case of Lucretia Mott.” Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies Vol. 48, No. 2 (1980): 149. [WEB].
[8] Greene, 152.
[9] Gallman, America’s Joan of Arc, 16
[10] Gallman, America’s Joan of Arc, 16.
[11] Lois Leveen, "The Civil War's Oratorical Wunderland." New York Times (New York, NY), May 21, 2013.
[12] James Harvey Young, “Anna Elizabeth Dickinson and the Civil War: For and Against Lincoln.” The Mississippi Valley Historical Review Vol. 31, no. (1944): 60. [WEB]
[13] "Battle of Ball's Bluff." History.com. November 13, 2009. [WEB]
[14] Young, 60.
[15] Gallman America’s Joan of Arc, 44.
[16] Elizabeth R. Varon, Armies of Deliverance: A New History of the Civil War / College Edition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2021), 237.
[17] M.C. Cobb, "Washington, January 22, 1864," The Agitator (Wellsborough, Tioga County, PA), Jan. 27, 1864, 2. [WEB]
[18] Berkeley, “Dickinson, Anna Elizabeth.”
[19] Gallman, “Dickinson, Anna Elizabeth.” 212.
[1] J. Matthew Gallman. “Dickinson, Anna Dickinson (1842-1932).” In Women in the Civil War, edited by Lisa Tendrich Franks, 210-212. United Kingdom: ABC-CLIO, 2008. [WEB]
[2] Gallman America’s Joan of Arc, 1.1
[3] J. Matthew Gallman, America’s Joan of Arc, The Life of Anna Elizabeth Dickinson (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006), 9.
[4] Kathleen C. Berkeley, “Dickinson, Anna Elizabeth.” American National Biography. February 2000. [WEB]
[5] Anna E.D., “Southern Outrages” The Liberator (Boston, MA), February 22, 1856. [WEB]
[6] Anna E.D., “Southern Outrages.”
[7] Dana Greene, “QUAKER FEMINISM: The Case of Lucretia Mott.” Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies Vol. 48, No. 2 (1980): 149. [WEB].
[8] Greene, 152.
[9] Gallman, America’s Joan of Arc, 16
[10] Gallman, America’s Joan of Arc, 16.
[11] Lois Leveen, "The Civil War's Oratorical Wunderland." New York Times (New York, NY), May 21, 2013.
[12] James Harvey Young, “Anna Elizabeth Dickinson and the Civil War: For and Against Lincoln.” The Mississippi Valley Historical Review Vol. 31, no. (1944): 60. [WEB]
[13] "Battle of Ball's Bluff." History.com. November 13, 2009. [WEB]
[14] Young, 60.
[15] Gallman America’s Joan of Arc, 44.
[16] Elizabeth R. Varon, Armies of Deliverance: A New History of the Civil War / College Edition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2021), 237.
[17] M.C. Cobb, "Washington, January 22, 1864," The Agitator (Wellsborough, Tioga County, PA), Jan. 27, 1864, 2. [WEB]
[18] Berkeley, “Dickinson, Anna Elizabeth.”
[19] Gallman, “Dickinson, Anna Elizabeth.” 212.
Banner Photo:
Anna Dickinson's "Temperance and Suffrage," Speech 1868
Courtesy of the Library of Congress
Anna Dickinson's "Temperance and Suffrage," Speech 1868
Courtesy of the Library of Congress