The People's Poet: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

“I do not believe that giving the woman the ballot is immediately going to cure all the ills of life. I do not believe that white women are dewdrops just exhaled from the skies. I think that like men they may be divided into three classes, the good, the bad, and the indifferent. The good would vote according to their convictions and principles; the bad, as dictated by prejudice or malice; and the indifferent will vote on the strongest side of the question, with the winning party.

You white women speak here of rights. I speak of wrongs. I, as a colored woman, have had in this country an education which has made me feel as if I were in the situation of Ishmael, my hand against every man, and every man’s hand against me.” Frances Harper, 1866. 

Welcome to Civics and Coffee. My name is Alycia and I am a self-professed history nerd. Each week, I am going to chat about a topic on U.S history and give you both the highlights and occasionally break down some of the complexities in history; and share stories you may not remember learning in high school. All in the time it takes to enjoy a cup of coffee. 

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Hey everyone. Welcome back. 

One of the things I love about putting together this podcast is in addition to connecting with each of you, I also sometimes stumble into people or events that I’ve either forgotten or know too little about and I get to go on deep dives into the research rabbit holes to learn more. This week’s topic was one such occasion. As I am reviewing articles and books on the various topics and people surrounding Reconstruction, I kept coming across the name Frances Harper. When I read that her contemporaries thought she was a better public speaker than the illustrious Frederick Douglass, I knew I had to learn more. 

Born as a free black woman in the border state of Maryland, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper spent her life engaged in activism. Whether for the freedom of Black Americans or political rights for women, Harper used her literary talent to lobby for the changes she felt were needed to make a more perfect union. But who exactly was she? 

So this week I am diving into the life and legacy of Frances Harper. When did she become active in abolitionist circles? How is she tied to the Underground Railroad? And what was her impact? 

Grab your cup of coffee, peeps. Let’s do this. 

Frances Watkins was born on September 24, 1825 in the city of Baltimore. She was an only child, and lost both parents by the time she was 3 years old, leaving her an orphan. Luckily, Frances lived amid a robust free black community that included her Aunt and Uncle, Henrietta and William Watkins. The Watkins were affluent members of the city of Baltimore which was considered the black capital during the 19th century due it claiming the largest number of free black americans in the country, many of whom were middle class. Listed as a shoemaker, William Watkins was technically a highly skilled cordwiner, which meant he specialized in making fine leather goods such as boots. These were considered luxury items as only upper class patrons could afford the cost. In addition to being a highly skilled artisan, William also benefited financially from his marriage to Henrietta who was the daughter of the richest man in the city.

In addition to his business as a shoemaker, Watkins also practiced medicine and established a school for young black children and organized a black literary society. The school, named the Watkins Academy for Negro Youth, was launched in 1820 and was where Frances attended school for a brief period after coming to live with her aunt and uncle. The Watkins’ home was a hotbed of political activity as Frances’ uncle was an outspoken abolitionist. As described by historian Margaret Washington, William Watkins was quote: “a skilled artisan, property owner, and cultivator of minds who promised civic usefulness against extreme odds and strove to loosen the riveting chains holding his people in bondage,” end quote. Growing up surrounded by such a politically active family no doubt had a significant influence on the young Frances, who was introduced to anti-slavery circles in New England by her older cousin, also named William. William left the bustling household in 1849 eventually becoming an associate editor for Frederick Douglass. 

Frances joined a very full household, growing up with a total of 8 cousins, only one of which was female. While the Watkins’ stepped in to take charge of little Frances, it appears as though this decision was born of obligation rather than desire. They made sure Frances had the necessities: clean clothes, food, and a roof over her head. She was also allowed to enroll into the school established by her uncle. However, despite their elevated financial situation, the Watkins’ terminated Frances’ education early, sending her off to work as a nursemaid and seamstress at just 13 years old. 

It remains unknown what motivated the Watkins’ to put Frances to work so young. Although it was fairly typical for kids in middle and working class families to miss periods of school to help earn money, the Watkins were upper class. Whether trying to instill a strong work ethic or reinforcing her outside status, the Watkins’ did make sure Frances worked in a friendly environment, as she was sent to work for a local Quaker family. Her employers quickly saw her innate curiosity and desire for books, and allowed Frances to access their bookshop whenever she had free time. 

Frances gravitated to the written word, dabbling early in writing poetry. She published her first collection of poems at just 21 although the collection, entitled Forest Leaves, is no longer in print and lost to history. She left Maryland at the age of 26 to become the first woman instructor at Union Seminary, a school for free blacks located in Wilberforce, Ohio. She spent a year teaching domestic science, before moving to Pennsylvania where she called on the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society where she hoped to join the abolitionist cause. Of her mission, Watkins said quote: “God himself has written upon both my heart and brain a commission to use time, talent, and energy in the cause of freedom,” end quote. 

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Her hope was to become a lecturer for the group, but they did not yet recognize the talent before them and declined her request. While dealing with the anti-slavery society, Frances met and set up lodging with William and Letitia George Still. 

The Stills were active abolitionists, with William largely considered the father of the Underground Railroad, and were family friends of the Watkins. With Still’s support, Frances began writing poetry for antislavery newspapers. While Frances was abroad, the state of Maryland passed a law precluding any free black person from entering its borders, essentially leaving the budding writer without a home. 

Despite her nomad status, Frances remained committed to anti-slavery activism and made her public speaking debut on August 30, 1853 when she read some of her poetry at the Brick Wesley Church in Philadelphia, apparently thanks to some interventions by William Still. Sharing the stage with the likes of Robert Purvis and Mary Ann Shadd, Frances impressed audiences with her command of the written word and headed to New England where her older cousin William helped her launch her career as an anti-slavery lecturer and writer, allowing Frances to step away from working as a teacher, likey to the chagrin of her conservative uncle. Unable to draw upon personal experience given her status as a free woman, Frances focused her lectures and writing to tell the stories of slave suicides and the devastating impacts of family separation.  

Frances Watkins gave her first lecture in August 1854, just a year after she shared her poetry in Philadelphia. Described as having a quote calm but commanding voice, Frances stood in front of an audience in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where she focused her lecture on the benefits of education for Black Americans. The speech was so well received that Frances was invited back where she repeated her lecture on a nightly basis. By September of 1854, the Maine Anti-Slavery Society hired Frances on as an agent. She continued writing poetry, publishing another collection entitled Poems on Miscellaneous Subjects in 1854. While Harper neglected to speak about the experience and influence of growing up in a politically active family, she publicly admitted her admiration for Elizabeth Chandler, whose literary work focused almost entirely on the anti-slavery themes. Upon visiting Chandler’s home and grave site, Harper remarked the area was quote “classic ground” end quote. 

Her popularity grew so much that the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society sought to hire her as an agent, finally realizing their previous error. She used the money she earned to help fight the abolitionist cause, supporting the efforts of the Underground Railroad. 

As a lecturer, Watkins traveled the country, sometimes alongside such well known speakers such as Sojourner Truth. She also traveled north to Canada, where she gave a speech in Toronto in 1856. Traveling on the lecture circuit was difficult, especially for a black woman and like Truth, Watkins had to contend with constant disrespect including being spat on and being denied accommodations due to her race. This is saying nothing of the sexism she likely faced for stepping outside of her place as a woman, speaking in front of mixed crowds. 

When not giving lectures, Frances wrote and in 1859, she published her first short story called The Two Offers, becoming the first Black woman in America to publish a short story. By 1860, Frances had expressed a sense of loneliness due to her demanding travel schedule. She “finally” got married at the age of 35 to an older widower, Fenton Harper, on November 22, 1860. Harper had several young children from his previous union and together, the couple had a daughter named Mary. Unfortunately for Frances, her husband died just four years into their union, making her a single mother. Harper continued to travel the abolitionist lecture circuit, stopping in 1862 likely due to the Civil War. 

At the conclusion of the Civil War Harper, like many other longtime black activists, watched newly elevated president Andrew Johnson to see how he would implement Reconstruction. Of course, by now you all know that Johnson sided overwhelmingly with the southern elite, focusing on restoring the country rather than rebuilding it. Harper joined big names like Frederick Douglass in publicly criticizing the president. In her speech entitled the National Salvation she asked pointedly quote: “So to-day Andrew Johnson stands at the head of the Government, a man who is striking hands with the Rebels of the South.  Is there not in this nation, from the Potomac to the Rio Grande, a hand strong enough and earnest enough to throw at him the billet of impeachment, and let him go home to Tennessee to rust out the remainder of his life?” end quote. 

Although she spent a majority of her career engaged in the fight for black freedom, Frances Watkins Harper was also a supporter of temperance and women’s rights. Speaking at the National Woman’s Rights Convention in New York in 1866, Harper urged activists to include black women in their fight for suffrage. The speech, known as We Are All Bound Up Together and a portion of which I read at the start of the episode, highlighted the double burden of racism and sexism that plagued black women. Harper’s speech was likely influential, as the following day attendees held a meeting to organize the American Equal Rights Association to seek voting rights for both black americans and women. Unfortunately, the organization eventually split over the debate on whether to support the Fifteenth Amendment in 1869. 

Like Douglass, Harper supported efforts to pass the 15th Amendment, which provided Black men with access to the franchise. Although Harper believed in  and advocated for female suffrage, she believed that some progress was better than no progress at all. This was a departure from most of her prominent white colleagues such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony. Harper would help establish the American Woman Suffrage Association along with Lucy Stone and others, which publicly supported passage of the Fifteenth Amendment. 

In 1894, Harper became the director of the American Association of Colored Youth, a position she held until her death. She followed this up with lending her hand in establishing the National Association of Colored Women, the first national organization for Black women, eventually serving as Vice President. If that wasn’t enough, she also became the Superintendent of the Colored Sections of the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Women’s Christian Temperance Unions. She passed away on February 22, 1911 at the age of 85. 

Known for her oratory and commitment to Black freedom, Frances Watkins Harper was a woman who used her voice and her pen to advocate for a better America. Risking her safety and comfort, Harper spent her time doing what she could to lift up others of her race and gender to secure a better and brighter future. As Harper herself once said: “This grand and glorious revolution which has commenced, will fail to reach its climax of success, until throughout the length and brea[d]th of the American Republic, the nation shall be so color-blind, as to know no man by the color of his skin or the curl of his hair. It will then have no privileged class, trampling upon and outraging the unprivileged classes, but will be then one great privileged nation, whose privilege will be to produce the loftiest manhood and womanhood that humanity can attain.”

One quick note before I sign off today, friends. A big thank you to the latest member of the Patreon, Brian! As you know I recently launched a Patreon for lovers of Civics & Coffee where you get treats like historically themed stickers and access to bonus content. If you want to learn more about the Patreon, be sure to check out the website at www dot civics and coffee dot com. 

Thanks, peeps. I’ll see you next week.

Thanks for tuning and I hope you enjoyed this episode of Civics & Coffee. If you want to hear more small snippets from american history, be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening and I look forward to our next cup of coffee together. 

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