Born: 1806 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Died: 1875 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Biography:
Margaretta Forten (September 11, 1806 – January 13, 1875) was an African-American suffragist and abolitionist. She played a significant role in the fight against slavery and the women’s suffrage movement. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to abolitionist parents Charlotte Vandine Forten and James Forten, Margaretta grew up in a household that valued freedom and equality.
Margaretta’s father, James Forten, was a prominent figure in the abolitionist movement and the founder of the American Moral Reform Society. He instilled in his children the importance of fighting for justice and standing against the evils of slavery. Growing up in such an environment, Margaretta developed a strong sense of social justice from an early age.
In 1833, Margaretta Forten and her mother Charlotte, along with her sisters Sarah and Harriet, co-founded the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society. This was in response to the exclusion of women from the American Anti-Slavery Society. The primary objective of the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society was to include women in the fight against slavery, aiming to elevate people of color from their severely marginalized position to full societal inclusion and equal rights.
Margaretta frequently held important positions in the society, serving as the recording secretary or treasurer. She actively participated in drafting the society’s constitution and was a member of its educational committee. Margaretta’s efforts and contributions were crucial to the success of the society, which stood out as the United States’ first interracial organization of its kind.
A dedicated advocate for women’s suffrage, Margaretta Forten also campaigned and gave speeches in support of women’s rights. She actively participated in petition drives and sought to raise awareness about the importance of granting women the right to vote. Margaretta’s involvement in the women’s suffrage movement was another testament to her unwavering commitment to equality and justice for all.
Beyond her activism, Margaretta Forten also dedicated her life to education. She worked as a teacher at a school run by Sarah Mapps Douglass in the 1840s and later established her own school in 1850. Margaretta believed that education was instrumental in empowering individuals and fostering social change.
Following the death of her father, Margaretta Forten returned to her childhood home in Philadelphia, where she lived until her passing at the age of 68. Her legacy as a prominent suffragist and abolitionist lives on, and she is buried at the Saint James the Less Episcopal Churchyard Cemetery in Philadelphia.