Barbara Ann Steward (sometimes spelled "Stewart") (1836 – 1861) was a teacher, lecturer, abolitionist and advocate for industrial education African-Americans. She was the daughter of abolitionist Austin Steward.

Early life

Barbara Ann Steward was born in 1836 in Upper Canada, presently known as

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, to parents Patience and Austin Steward. A year after her birth, her family moved to

Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...

, and then to

Canandaigua Canandaigua () is a city in Ontario County, New York, United States. Its population was 10,576 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Ontario County; some administrative offices are at the county complex in the adjacent town of Hopewell. ...

in western New York around 1842, where she lived for most of her life. Growing up, she was well-educated, as her father "spared no pains nor money to educate and qualify erfor teaching". She studied to become a science teacher and afterwards assisted her father in running a school for colored children.

Career and advocacy

At age seventeen, Steward acted as secretary and delivered an address at the 1853 Geneva, New York Colored Convention. Her father, an ex-slave and well-known

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...

in his own right, served as president of the convention. That same year, Steward was chosen to represent Ontario's black citizen population at the black national convention in Rochester. In 1855, Steward wrote a letter to

Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 14, 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. He was the most impor ...

entitled "The Industrial School", which was later published in his newspaper. In this letter, she expressed her surprise that so many black men opposed the establishment of industrial schools for colored people, and she argued that industrial schools would be beneficial to her race by elevating the employment prospects of black youth and keeping black men out of the "saloon". She also specified that she did not believe in education for education's sake, but rather that which has a practical application. Drawing from personal experience, she said: "But a mere knowledge of books, without a trade of some kind, is useless.... I have spent all my life in educating my head, and the brightest prospect I have today for the future, and the most advantageous offer I have ever had, is to sail for

Monrovia Monrovia () is the administrative capital city, capital and largest city of Liberia. Founded in 1822, it is located on Cape Mesurado on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast and as of the 2022 census had 1,761,032 residents, home to 33.5% of Liber ...

on the coast of Africa, in October next". In other words, because she had no method of using it, Steward did not feel that her own education had helped her in life. In September 1855, with the support of male colleagues such as

Jermain Wesley Loguen Rev. Jermain Wesley Loguen (February 5, 1813September 30, 1872), born Jarm Logue, in slavery, was an African-American abolitionist and bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and an author of a slave narrative. Biography Jarm Lo ...

and Frederick Douglass, Steward attempted to join the Convention of the Colored People of the State of New York held in

Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...

. However, she was turned away as a woman. Later that same month, Steward addressed the Meeting of Colored Citizens in Rochester on the "rights and wrongs of her suffering people". Afterwards, she was highly praised by Frederick Douglass' paper for her "zeal, devotedness, high character, and ability" in speaking out in the name of enslaved women who could not advocate for themselves. She went on to complete a lecture circuit in upstate New York and continued to tour New England around this time. On August 3, 1857, Steward read the Act of Emancipation at the Great State Celebration of New York held to commemorate America's freedom from Britain.

Death

Steward died of

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...

in 1861.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steward, Barbara Ann 1836 births 1861 deaths Emigrants from pre-Confederation Ontario to the United States Activists from Rochester, New York People from Canandaigua, New York Deaths from typhoid fever