[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”The Convention of the Colored Men of Ohio (1858 : Cincinnati, OH)” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”Page Header” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Exhibit Title” module_id=”exhibit-title” module_class=”page-header” _builder_version=”4.20.0″ text_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_text_color=”#00457A” header_3_font=”||||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
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Harper attended the 1858 Convention as a Watkins before she met and married her husband Fenton Harper. Although the proceedings note that Watkins was only \u201crequested to take part in the convention,\u201d<\/strong> Watkins\u2019s significant financial contributions and her speeches denouncing the Fugitive Slave Law underscore her importance and influence. <\/span><\/p>\n Frances Ellen Watkins [Harper] was the convention’s sole woman delegate even though Ohio state conventions had directly debated women’s participation in the 1840s. She requested that she be named a delegate, advocating for herself to become an integral part of of the proceedings. The official Convention minutes minimize her role, acknowledging her when absolutely necessary. For example, in the discussion on emigration, two different newspapers note that she’s one of the primary speakers, but the Convention minutes only record the opinions of male speakers. The 1858 Convention was likely the first time Watkins served as a delegate, but it was not the last. She would go on to address other Conventions such as the 1864 national convention in Syracuse. In Ohio, Frances Ellen Watkins also joined a committee committed to raising five hundred dollars for the Society. Miss Frances E. Watkins was listed with alongside newspaper editor and Oberlin graduate H. Ford Douglass and Wallace Shelton as a \u201cspeaker of distinction\u201d in a notice advertising the First Anniversary of the Ohio Anti-Slavery Society<\/span>. (1) Watkins\u2019s financial contribution situates her as an active participant in the movement. Moreover, Watkins strategically made her presence known knowing that donations were recorded in meeting minutes. Watkins\u2019s donation of $10 (now $311.64) and the act of raising $500 challenges protocols that downplayed Black women\u2019s influence and power. Raising funds is one way of demonstrating active participation in the movement.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Two years before Watkins\u2019s speech at the 1858 Ohio Convention<\/span>, The Wilmington Republican <\/i>(Delaware) covered a similar 1856 speech. While the title of the speech is unknown, the writer of the article emphasizes Watkins\u2019s \u201cdistinctness and enunciation, and clearness of argument\u201d as she discussed the \u201ccondition of the African race in our country.\u201d (2) Watkins addressed the \u201cdegrading tendency of slavery, cursing both white and black. . . She complained of the laws of slave States in regard to free colored persons.\u201d (3) Although she gave this address two years before the 1858 Convention, we can imagine that she continued to give similar speeches denouncing the Fugitive Slave Act and further encroachments on free Black rights in places like Maryland.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “She alluded to the degrading tendency of slavery, cursing both the white and black, and even the soil.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n A few weeks before her appearance at the1858 Convention, the Anti-Slavery Bugle <\/i>reports that Watkins spoke on October 30, 1858 at the Ohio Yearly Meeting of the Friends of Human Progress. The evening session of the \u201cMinutes and Proceedings\u201d note \u201cthe meeting was addressed by Frances Ellen Watkins upon the subject of slavery. In a most eloquent and thrilling speech.\u201d (4) The article is also sure to mention Watkins\u2019s position on the Business Committee, again highlighting her status and importance within the meeting.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Spanning over three days (Friday evening, Saturday evening, and Sunday), “Miss Watkins at New Lisbon” highlights that Watkins gave her speech in the Methodist Episcopal Church to a crowd of \u201cattentive and interested listeners.\u201d (5) The article stresses the large turnout of women who attended Watkins\u2019s speech, revealing her influence to other women at an early stage in her career. The writer of the article is amazed of Watkins\u2019s presence and admits \u201cNever before…could the M.E. Church be had to hold an anti-slavery lecture in of the character of Miss Watkins favored us with.\u201d (6)<\/span><\/p>\n “Our women turned out pretty largely to hear her, and I doubt not they sympathized with all she said. If the women once get right, and to moving, you may be sure it will not be without its influence upon the man.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Only a few days before the 1858 Convention, J.D. Copeland sends a letter to the Anti-Slavery Bugle<\/i> praising Watkins\u2019s lecture at Cool Spring on November 17, 1858. Copeland acknowledges that \u201c[he is] happy to have the privilege of saying for our citizens, that there has never, to [his] recollection been any disposition manifested here to interrupt meetings in this way. Her meeting in this place was well attended, and very orderly.\u201d (7) Through the praise and detail of Watkins\u2019s lectures at these various locations before her participation at the 1858 Convention, we understand the impact of her presence and words on audience members especially on the subject of anti-slavery. Watkins made a name for herself early in her lecture and activist career, allowing her opportunities to speak at places like the 1858 Convention.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Use the gallery of images below to view news coverage of Watkins’s speeches!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”3538,3539,3413,3127,3129,3130,3128,3541″ dbdb_version=”4.3.5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [1] Convention of the Colored Men of Ohio (1858 : Cincinnati, OH), \u201cProceedings of a Convention of the Colored Men of Ohio, Held in the City of Cincinnati, on the 23d, 24th, 25th and 26th days of November, 1858.,\u201d<\/p>\n [2] Wilmington Republican. \u201cFrances E. Watkins.\u201dLiberator [Boston, Massachusetts] 19 Dec. 1856: 203. 19th Century U.S. Newspapers.<\/p>\n [3] Ibid. <\/p>\n [4] Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio), 30 Oct. 1858. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.<\/p>\n [5] Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio), 30 Oct. 1858. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.<\/p>\n [6] Ibid. <\/p>\n [7] Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio), 20 Nov. 1858. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Edited by:<\/strong> Dr. Gabrielle Foreman.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and the Colored Conventions Movement The Convention of the Colored Men of Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1858\u00a0 Harper attended the 1858 Convention as a Watkins before she met and married her husband Fenton Harper. Although the proceedings note that Watkins was only \u201crequested to take part in the convention,\u201d Watkins\u2019s significant financial contributions and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3183","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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REFERENCES<\/h3>\n