Maria W. Stewart

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Maria W. Stewart (née Miller) (1803 – December 17, 1879) was an African American writer, lecturer, teacher, and activist from Hartford, Connecticut. She is widely recognized as the first woman in the United States to give a public speech and the first American-born woman to speak publicly about abolition and women's rights, breaking barriers for both Black and female voices in the early 19th century. Stewart's work appeared in The Liberator, where she published two influential pamphlets: "Religion and the Pure Principles of Morality, The Sure Foundation on Which We Must Build" (1831) (which urged the abolition of slavery and called for Black self-determination and autonomy) and "Meditations from the Pen of Mrs. Maria Stewart" (1832). Her brief but impactful public speaking career concluded after a controversial address in 1833, yet her advocacy was foundational for later reformers. After retiring from lecturing, Stewart continued her commitment to education and service, teaching in public...

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