The Smiths of Glastonbury were two generations of women—a mother and her five daughters—residing in
Glastonbury, Connecticut
Glastonbury ( ) is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, formally founded in 1693 and first settled in 1636. It was named after Glastonbury in Somerset, England. Glastonbury is on the banks of the Connecticut River, southeast ...
, in the late 18th and 19th century who were early champions of education, abolition, and women's rights.
Kimberly Mansion
The Kimberly Mansion is a historic house at 1625 Main Street in Glastonbury, Connecticut. It was the home of Abby and Julia Evelina Smith, political activists involved in causes including abolitionism and women's suffrage. By contesting the a ...
, their former home on Main Street, is now a designated
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
, and the family as a whole was inducted into the
Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame
The Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame (CWHF) recognizes women natives or residents of the U.S. state of Connecticut for their significant achievements or statewide contributions.
The CWHF had its beginnings in 1993 when a group of volunteers partn ...
in 1994.
The family
The mother of the family, Hannah Hadassah (Hickok) Smith (1767–1850), was married to a prosperous
Nonconformist clergyman, Zephaniah Smith. Zephaniah left the ministry due to a religious dispute and became a farmer and lawyer in Glastonbury.
[ Hannah was conversant in the classics and saw to it that her daughters were exceptionally well educated.]abolitionist
Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people.
The British ...
who helped slaves escape through the Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...
.Catharine Beecher
Catharine Esther Beecher (September 6, 1800 – May 12, 1878) was an American educator known for her forthright opinions on female education as well as her vehement support of the many benefits of the incorporation of kindergarten into children's ...
's seminaryJulia Evelina Smith
Julia Evelina Smith (27 May 1792 – 6 March 1886) was an American women's suffrage activist who was the first woman to translate the Bible from its original languages into English. She was also the author of the book ''Abby Smith and Her Cows'', ...
(1792–1886), a teacher at Emma Willard
Emma Hart Willard (February 23, 1787 – April 15, 1870) was an American woman's education activist who dedicated her life to education. She worked in several schools and founded the first school for women's higher education, the Emma Willard S ...
's school who became the first woman to translate the entire Bible from its original languages; a suffragist; and the author of a book, ''Abby Smith and Her Cows'', about a suffrage-related tax battle with the Glastonbury authorities[
Glastonbury's middle school, Smith Middle School, is named after the family.New Middle School Gets A Famous Name]
/ref>
See also
* Julia E. Smith Parker Translation
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smiths of Glastonbury
American families
American suffragists
American women's rights activists
People from Glastonbury, Connecticut