Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

Biography

Early Life

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was born on September 24, 1825, in Baltimore, Maryland. Her parents were free Black people. This was rare at a time when many African Americans were enslaved. Sadly, both parents died when she was only three years old. She was then raised by her aunt and uncle, Henrietta and Reverend William J. Watkins Sr.

Harper attended Watkins Academy for Negro Youth. Her uncle started this school to educate Black children. She studied there until age 14. She worked as a housekeeper and seamstress after leaving school. She continued to teach herself by reading and studying even while working.

Her uncle was both a minister at Sharp Street African Methodist Episcopal Church and an abolitionist. Harper learned about fighting for justice through his example. Seeing the pain of formerly enslaved people who tried to escape to freedom made a lasting impact on her.

Harper became the first woman to teach at Union Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio in 1850. Some people opposed her hiring because she was a woman. The school’s principal, Reverend John M. Brown, stood by her. He would later become known for his role in the Harpers Ferry revolt in 1859.

She moved to Pennsylvania to teach in 1852. She lived in a house that was part of the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people escape from the South to the North. Witnessing their courage led Harper to take a more active role in the abolitionist movement.

Religious Faith & Activism

Harper was a poet, teacher, speaker, abolitionist, and novelist. She worked with the Maine Anti-Slavery Society between 1860 and 1864. She traveled across the Northern U.S. and Canada, speaking out against slavery and reading her poetry to audiences.

She raised awareness about many issues: education, civil rights, temperance (avoiding alcohol), better home life, and ending lynching. Her early poems were published in abolitionist newspapers like The Frederick Douglass’ Paper. Her poetry, short stories, and other writings often used simple rhymes and biblical themes. She donated money from her writing to support the Underground Railroad.

Harper was one of the first Black women to write a novel. In 1892, she published Iola Leroy: or Shadow Uplifted. It tells the story of a mixed-race woman facing racism and family separation in the 1800s. The book tackled hard topics like sexism, racism, and classism.

She married Fenton Harper in 1860. Their daughter, Mary Frances, was born in 1862. After her husband died in 1864, she returned to public speaking and focused more on women’s rights.

She worked with leaders like Susan B. Anthony. She spoke at the National Woman’s Rights Convention and demanded equal rights for all women.

Harper led work for the National Woman’s Christian Temperance Union from 1883 to 1890. She became director of the American Association of Education of Colored Youth in 1894. She helped found the National Association of Colored Women in 1896. She was elected as its vice president.

Harper continued speaking and writing until her death in 1911.