College of Political Knowledge
Subject: American History/Women’s History/
March is “Women’s History Month” where we celebrate women and their accomplishments through the history of our country….and today is the International Woman’s Day…….I try to find people that do not get the credit they deserve….last year it was Thomas Paine and his stance on women’s rights……This year is the little known radical feminist, Frances Wright…..
Most of us have heard of Harriet Tubman or Sojourner Truth or Amelia Erhart or Susan B. Anthony or Mother Jones to mention only a few of the courageous women of American history….but who has heard of Fanny Wright?
Fanny Wright was born Frances Wright in Scotland in 1795…her father was a wealthy linen merchant and political radical, who knew Adam Smith and corresponded with many French republicans. In 1818, Fanny visited the United States for the first time and moved here in 1820’s where she established herself as a social reformer and in 1825 became an American citizen. She became a radical feminist and lectured extensively on sexual freedom for women, emancipation of slaves, free public schooling of ALL children, and the issue of birth control. She was an outspoken critic of capitalism, greed and organized religion.
Outside of Memphis, Tennessee she founded Nashoba Commune which was a place set up to educate slaves for their eventual freedom…she hoped to build a community that was self-sustaining community of slaves, free blacks and whites a true multi-racial commune. Unfortunately the community lasted only three years and in 1830, Wright freed all the slaves that were there and got them to Haiti which had won its independence in 1804, where the people could live the lives as free men and women…..
In the 1830’s and 1840’s Wright involved herself in the movement to get women into medicine and health care…she became an activist in the American popular Health Movement…she continued to work for women’s rights in most all fields of society and in 1852 she died from complications she had from a fall on icy stairs.
She was a true radical and deserves more attention than she has gotten in the past….she worked tirelessly for the women’s movement as it was and the United States is better off for her involvement in the struggles of women.