Ruth Townsend Dugdale (April 21, 1802 – September 5, 1898) was an American abolitionist and women's suffragist. She lived in

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

and

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

. In 1827, the family moved to

Salem, Ohio Salem is a city in Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. The population was 11,915 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Salem was founded by Quakers in 1806 and played a key role in the Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist ...

, there Joseph A. Dugdale was disowned for his support of

Elias Hicks Elias Hicks (March 19, 1748 – February 27, 1830) was a traveling Quaker minister from Long Island, New York. In his ministry he promoted doctrines deemed unorthodox by many which led to lasting controversy, and caused the second major schism w ...

and his antislavery sentiments. In 1833, the Dugdales moved to

Clark County, Ohio Clark County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 136,001. Its county seat and largest city is Springfield. The county was created on March 1, 1818, and was nam ...

. In 1835, Dugdale attended the first meeting of the

Ohio Anti-Slavery Society The Ohio Anti-Slavery Society (1835–1845) was an Abolitionism, abolitionist American Anti-Slavery Society, Anti-Slavery Society established in Zanesville, Ohio, by American activists such as Gamaliel Bailey, Asa Mahan, John Rankin (abolitionist), ...

. In 1851 the Dugdales moved to

Chester County, Pennsylvania Chester County (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Tscheschter Kaundi''), colloquially referred to as Chesco, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in ...

. In 1852, the Dugdales helped organize the first Women's Rights Convention in

West Chester, Pennsylvania West Chester is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough and the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located in the Delaware Valley, Philadelphia metropolitan area, the borough had a population of 18,671 at the 2020 census. West ...

. On September 6 and 7, 1853, the Dugdales attended the

Women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...

Convention in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

known as the "Mob Convention." In 1853, the Dugdales and other reformers established the Pennsylvania Yearly Meeting of

Progressive Friends The Progressive Friends, also known as the Congregational Friends and the Friends of Human Progress, was a loose-knit group of dissidents who left the Hicksite branch of the Society of Friends (Quakers) in the mid-nineteenth century. The separation ...

Lucretia Mott Lucretia Mott (née Coffin; January 3, 1793 – November 11, 1880) was an American Quakers, Quaker, Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist, women's rights activist, and social reformer. She had formed the idea of reforming the position ...

and

Sojourner Truth Sojourner Truth (; born Isabella Bomefree; November 26, 1883) was an American Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist and activist for African-American civil rights, women's rights, and Temperance movement, alcohol temperance. Truth was ...

both attended. On October 18, 1854, a Women's Rights Convention was held in Sansom Street Hall in Philadelphia. Joseph A. Dugdale was appointed one of the Secretaries, while Ruth Townsend Dugdale, Susan B. Anthony,

James Mott James Mott (June 20, 1788 – January 26, 1868) was a Quaker leader, teacher, merchant, and anti-slavery activist. He was married to suffragist leader Lucretia Mott. Like her, he wanted enslaved people to be freed. He helped found anti-slav ...

and Rebecca Plumbley were appointed as the Finance Committee. Other members of the administrative body included

William Lloyd Garrison William Lloyd Garrison (December , 1805 – May 24, 1879) was an Abolitionism in the United States, American abolitionist, journalist, and reformism (historical), social reformer. He is best known for his widely read anti-slavery newspaper ''The ...

and

Lucy Stone Lucy Stone (August 13, 1818 – October 18, 1893) was an American orator, Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist and Suffrage, suffragist who was a vocal advocate for and organizer of promoting Women's rights, rights for women. In 1847, ...

. In 1855 the

had built Longwood Meeting House. In 1861, the Dugdales and family moved to

Marion County, Iowa Marion County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,414. The county seat is Knoxville. It is named for Francis Marion, a brigadier general from South Carolina in the American Revolutionary War. ...

. In 1870 the Dugales were leaders in the

Women's Suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...

Convention held in

Henry County, Iowa Henry County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 20,482. The county seat is Mount Pleasant, Iowa, Mount Pleasant. The county was named for G ...

. Joseph being appointed temporary Chairman and Corresponding Secretary, and Ruth served as a vice President.The Mount Pleasant Journal, Mount Pleasant, Iowa, Friday, June 24, 1870, page 4 In 1875 both Joseph and Ruth were instrumental in organizing an

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...

Convention in

Salem, Iowa Salem is a city in Henry County, Iowa, Henry County, Iowa, United States. The population was 394 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Salem was settled originally by Quakers with the intent that it be a community of ...

Early life and family

Ruth Cadwallader Townsend was born at

Brownsville, Pennsylvania Brownsville is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, first settled in 1785 as the site of a trading post a few years after the defeat of the Iroquois enabled a resumption of westward migration after the American Revolutionary ...

, April 21, 1802, to Jesse and Edith (Cadawallader) Townsend. She married Joseph A. Dugdale and together they had three children, Pillon Dugdale (who died young), John D. Dugdale (1835-1920), Edith Dugdale (who died young).

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dugdale, Ruth Townsend 1802 births 1898 deaths 19th-century American people 19th-century American women American abolitionists American suffragists People from Brownsville, Pennsylvania