Maria Freeman Gray (18321915) was an American educator, feminist and

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

involved in the

Anti-imperialism Anti-imperialism in political science and international relations is a term used in a variety of contexts, usually by nationalist movements who want to secede from a larger polity (usually in the form of an empire, but also in a multi-ethnic so ...

and

Peace movement A peace movement is a social movement which seeks to achieve ideals, such as the ending of a particular war (or wars) or minimizing inter-human violence in a particular place or situation. They are often linked to the goal of achieving world pea ...

Life

Gray was born in

New Salem, Massachusetts New Salem is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 983 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. History New Salem was first settled in 1737 and was of ...

on February 15, 1832. She attended

Wilbraham Wesleyan Academy Wilbraham Wesleyan Academy was one of the oldest educational institutions of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was established by Methodist clergy of New England in 1818. Originally located in New Market, New Hampshire, before moving to Wilbraham, ...

. Gray traveled westward in 1852 under the auspices of the National Board of Popular Education, organized by

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 ...

to promote women as educators. She taught in various schools, including two years at Fort Wayne College. She married Judge John Henry Gray in 1855 and had two children, known as the Gray brothers. Her husband was well known for overturning an Iowa law that had kept free blacks from entering

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

. He died in 1865. In Iowa in 1862 Gray was president the state branch of the Women's Loyal League, an organization seeking to abolish slavery. In

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

she was vice-president of the state branches of the Anti-Imperialist League, the

Universal Peace Union The Universal Peace Union was a pacifist organization founded by former members of the American Peace Society in Providence, Rhode Island with the adoption of its constitution on 16 May 1866; it was chartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 9 Apri ...

, and the American Humane Education Society. In 1888, Gray and five other women ran for the

San Francisco Board of Education The San Francisco Board of Education is the school board for the City and County of San Francisco. It is composed of seven Commissioners, elected by voters across the city to serve 4-year terms. It is subject to local, state, and federal laws, a ...

. All six candidates lost, but considered it a kind of victory to have been competitive in a race in which women could not legally vote. In 1900, Gray was chosen to represent California at an International Congress for the Rights of Women in conjunction with the

Exposition Universelle Exposition (also the French for exhibition) may refer to: *Universal exposition or World's Fair *Expository writing **Exposition (narrative) *Exposition (music) *Trade fair * ''Exposition'' (album), the debut album by the band Wax on Radio *Exposi ...

in Paris. Gray wrote for newspapers and magazines, and was a member of the

Pacific Coast Women's Press Association Pacific Coast Women's Press Association (PCWPA; September 27, 1890 - 1941) was a press organization for women located on the West Coast of the United States. Discussions were not permitted regarding politics, religion, or reform. The members of th ...

. She testified before

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

on behalf of this association in 1900.

Beliefs

Gray was a socialist and a

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

. She was a member of Race Street Meeting in Philadelphia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Maria Freeman Educators from Massachusetts American women educators American feminists American women's rights activists American socialists American abolitionists 1832 births 1915 deaths Female Christian socialists Quaker feminists Quaker socialists