Born: 1833 (Jamesville, New York)
Died: 1926
Biography:
Amelia Stone Quinton (born Amelia Stone on July 31, 1833 – June 23, 1926) was an American social activist and advocate for Native American rights. In collaboration with Mary Bonney, she helped found the Women’s National Indian Association in 1883. Quinton served as the association’s president from 1887 to 1904, during which time the association made significant progress in advancing the rights of Native Americans.
Amelia Stone was born on July 31, 1833, in Jamesville, New York, near Syracuse, to Mary (née Bennett) and Jacob Thompson Stone. She received her education from Samuel B. Woolworth in Homer. After her marriage to Reverend James Franklin Swanson, the couple lived in Georgia for several years for his work. Unfortunately, Reverend Swanson passed away before her.
As a widow, Stone married Richard L. Quinton in London, who was an astronomy and history lecturer. She took on his surname and continued to contribute to society through her philanthropic work.
Stone began her volunteer work among the poor in New York City, where she had weekly engagements in various institutions. She dedicated one day of the week to the prison, almshouse, or workhouse, and another day to an infirmary or reformatory for women. Additionally, she provided a weekly Bible class for sailors. During the first temperance crusade in Brooklyn, she joined the group of workers and was eventually invited to represent the work and organize unions. Her dedication and passion led to her election as a state organizer by the State Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.
In search of rest, Amelia Stone Quinton traveled to Europe for a year. However, she quickly became involved in temperance work in England and addressed drawing-room and church meetings in London and other cities. It was during her voyage to England that she met Professor Richard Quinton, a native of London and a lecturer on historical and astronomical subjects. They married a year later in London and continued to reside there for some months.
In the autumn of 1878, Amelia Stone Quinton returned to the United States with her husband and settled in Philadelphia, where Professor Quinton resumed his lecturing. It was in April 1879 that her close friend, Mary L. Bonney, became deeply moved by the injustices faced by Native Americans, particularly the encroachment of European-American settlement in Indian Territory. Together, Quinton and Bonney founded the Women’s National Indian Association in 1883, with the aim of advocating for the rights of Native Americans.
Amelia Stone Quinton served as the president of the Women’s National Indian Association from 1887 to 1904. During her tenure, the association made significant strides towards advancing Native American rights. One of their major achievements was the support and successful passage of the Dawes Severalty Act by Congress in 1887. This act provided individual households of Native Americans in Indian Territory with portions of land for farming and granted United States citizenship. Senator Henry Dawes, the sponsor of the act, later attributed the success of the act to the support and dedication of the Women’s National Indian Association, stating that the new government Indian policy was born of and nursed by this women’s association.
Amelia Stone Quinton played a pivotal role in advocating for the rights and welfare of Native Americans. Her dedication, alongside Mary Bonney and the Women’s National Indian Association, significantly influenced the trajectory of Native American rights and their recognition within American society.