Susan Paul (1809–1841) was an African-American

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 ...

from Boston, Massachusetts. A primary school teacher and member of the

Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society The Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society (1833–1840) was an abolitionist, interracial organization in Boston, Massachusetts, in the mid-19th century. "During its brief history ... it orchestrated three national women's conventions, organized a mult ...

, Paul also wrote the first biography of an African American published in the United States. The book, ''Memoir of James Jackson'', was published in 1835.

Early life

Paul was the youngest daughter of Baptist minister Thomas Paul and Catherine Waterhouse Paul. An outspoken social activist, Thomas Paul introduced Susan to the

anti-slavery 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 Britis ...

movement and many of the movement's most prominent players, such as David Walker and

Lydia Maria Child Lydia Maria Child ( Francis; February 11, 1802October 20, 1880) was an American abolitionist, women's rights activist, Native American rights activist, novelist, journalist, and opponent of American expansionism. Her journals, both fiction an ...

Abolitionism and the Juvenile Choir

Paul began her abolitionist career with the

New England Anti-Slavery Society The Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, headquartered in Boston, was organized as an auxiliary of the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1835. Its roots were in the New England Anti-Slavery Society, organized by William Lloyd Garrison, editor of ' ...

(NEASS), a group that was significantly more receptive to women than other anti-slavery societies. In 1833, an assembly of men from NEASS, led by

William Lloyd Garrison William Lloyd Garrison (December , 1805 – May 24, 1879) was a prominent American Christian, abolitionist, journalist, suffragist, and social reformer. He is best known for his widely read antislavery newspaper '' The Liberator'', which he fo ...

visited Paul's classroom, and were overwhelmed by the musical performances that Paul's students provided. As a result, Paul was invited to attend NEASS meetings with her students. Known as the Juvenile Choir of Boston, Paul's African-American students ranged from ages three to ten and sang patriotic and anti-slavery songs. The Juvenile Choir would also sing at concerts and various anti-slavery events in Boston. During the two years in which they performed, Paul's choir received rave reviews, and oftentimes, the halls in which they performed were so crowded that people were denied entry. Under Paul's guidance, "The choir's singing...meant that African American voices would quite literally be heard and would prevent the anti-slavery struggle from becoming an abstract enterprise whose goals were articulated only by white reformers." By teaching her students songs about

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

, Paul was able to inform young African-American children about Northern abolitionism and expand the African-American anti-slavery movement. After the

(BFASS) was formed as an auxiliary of NEASS, Paul was welcomed as one of the first African-American members. Through her work with BFASS, she inspired other African-Americans to join the anti-slavery movement and motivated women to join social justice movements. According to Lois Brown, author and scholar of African-American history, Paul helped to "redefine early republican notions of feminine virtue."

Temperance

Paul together with Jane Putnam and Nancy Prince founded a

temperance society The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders empha ...

in the 1830s. The group succeeded in having 114 African-Americans take the "cold water pledge" against liquor in 1833.

Publication

Paul wrote just one book: a biography entitled ''Memoir of James Jackson'' published in 1835. James Jackson was one of Paul's students at Boston's Primary School Number 6 who died at just six years of age. Unfortunately, Paul's writing career was cut short when she died of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, ...

in 1841.

External links

Text of ''Memoir of James Jackson: The Attentive and Obedient Scholar, who Died in Boston, October 31, 1833, Aged Six Years and Eleven Months.''

References