Antoinette Brown Blackwell
Woman Minister and Advocate
1825 – 1921 A.D.

Though American women were occasionally ordained as clergy by small churches before the 1950s, it was at that time that several mainstream Protestant denominations began the practice, and now women pastors serve around the country. However, in the 19th century there was one woman who was a pioneer in this area, at a time when society disapproved of women even speaking publicly. This was Antoinette Brown Blackwell, who was also a major figure in other areas of 19th century reforms, such as women’s rights, abolition of slavery and temperance. In 1853 when she was ordained a minister by a mainline denomination she fulfilled her lifelong dream of serving in the pulpit.

Born in May 1825 in Henrietta, New York, Antoinette Brown was even as a child recognized as especially intelligent. Growing up in what was called the “rustic charm” of her birthplace, she long held fond memories of the family love, and happy farm life of her childhood. However, because of her increased intelligence she naturally seemed to prefer intellectual pursuits, over traditionally feminine domestic duties. She also absorbed her parents’ deep religious convictions, as they attended a nearby Congregationalist church. So evident was her shared interest in their faith that by age nine she became a full member of the church where she also spoke.

After finishing her education at a local academy where she later taught, with her earnings Antoinette then enrolled in Ohio’s Oberlin College, which was the first college to grant undergraduate degrees to women as well as Blacks, and in a co-ed setting. She wanted to obtain a degree in theology to prepare her for a pulpit ministry, but at a time when women rarely even went to a college like Oberlin, much less served as clergy, she encountered opposition. At Oberlin, apparently only men were accepted for the theological course.

At first opposed by her family, and later by the Oberlin faculty, Antoinette was determined to fulfill her dream and there was struck a compromise. She would attend the necessary classes, but she would not be formally listed as a theology graduate, nor be granted a license to preach.

It might be called ironic that many years later, Oberlin granted Antoinette both an honorary Master’s degree, and a Doctor of Divinity degree. Also, her theological treatise on the writings of the Apostle Paul, was published in an Oberlin theology publication.

Antoinette began a lecture tour, speaking in the areas of Ohio and New York on the subjects of abolition and women’s rights; she also began writing for The North Star the anti-slavery publication of Frederick Douglass, renowned former slave and author. She also traveled widely, lecturing and speaking in churches on the subjects of women’s rights, temperance and abolition.

Then in 1853 Antoinette achieved her goal, as she was ordained a minister at a Congregationalist church in Butler, New York.

That same year she faced opposition at a large temperance conference in New York City. Due to her gender and society’s norms she faced what was called “a hostile audience” when she tried to speak. She was forced to cease speaking and leave the conference because of the opposition. Women speaking publicly to mixed audiences (men and women) were so new a practice, that just a few years before in 1838 when fellow abolitionist Angelina Grimke did so, she was met with hostile shouting crowds throwing rocks.

At a time when marriage and childbearing was society’s ideal design for women, Antoinette was unusual, because she preferred to remain single. She believed that she would have more opportunities for speaking and as a minister if she were unmarried. However, when she met Samuel Blackwell, she changed her plans and they were married.

Samuel Charles Blackwell Jr. was born in England in 1823 and came to the U.S. with his family in 1932. His father, Samuel Blackwell, Sr. was an abolitionist campaigner. He believed in educating his daughters as well as his sons and at his death the family was living in Cincinnati. Samuel Charles Blackwell Jr. and Antoinette were married in 1856 and were to have seven living children, and following a 20th century custom, their children used both names of Brown and Blackwell. His brother Henry Blackwell married Antoinette’s friend and fellow abolitionist/women’s rights advocate, Lucy Stone. Antoinette’s fellow Oberlin graduate, Lucy shocked many by refusing to assume her husband’s last name and retaining her own. Another sister, Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to receive a medical degree in the U.S., and still another sister Emily was the third woman to also graduate from a medical school. Other Blackwell sisters were well known writers.

After her marriage, as Antoinette added wife and mother status and this role took on a new importance, she also caused her to focus more on her writing than being a speaker. She published several books, including a novel in 1871 and in 1902 a collection of poetry.

However, though they shared many of the same ideals, Antoinette at times differed with other women’s rights advocates such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and this led to a split in their national suffrage organization. However the groups reunited several years later in their common efforts to achieve the goal of a national amendment to the Constitution. Then in 1878 Antoinette became associated with the Unitarian church and was recognized by them as a minister.

When the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting women the right to vote passed in 1920 Mrs. Blackwell—at age 95—was the only surviving participant of the early suffrage amendment. That year she voted for Warren G. Harding for president and passed away in November of the next year.

~*~

Anne Adams is a retired church staffer. She lives in East Texas and has an historical column for a local newspaper. She has published in Christian and secular publications for more than 40 years.

References:
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Genesee Valley PennySaver