"Frances Ellen Watkins Harper [September 24,1825-February 22,1911]

Was an African American abolitionist and poet.Born free in Baltimore Maryland,she had long and prolific career,publishing her first book of poetry at twenty and her first novel,the widely Lola

Leroy,at age 67.She was born to free parents in Baltimore Maryland.After her mother died when she three years old.Frances was orphaned.She was raised by her aunt and uncle.Frances was educated at the Academy for Negro Youth,a school run by her uncle Rev.William Watkins,who was a civil rights activist.He was a major influence on her life and work.At fourteen she found work as a seamstress.Frances had her first volume of verse,Forest Leaves,in 1845 (it had been lost).Her second book,Poems on Miscellaneous Subjects,published in 1854,was extremely popular.over the next few years,it was reprinted in 20 editions.Many African American women's service club named themselves in her honor,and across the nation,in cities such as St.Paul,and Pittsburgh,F.E.W. Harper Leagues and Frances E. Harper Women's Christian Temperance Unions thrived well into the twentieth century.In 1850,Frances moved to Ohio,where she worked as first teacher at Union Seminary.established by the Ohio,Conference of the AME Church.(Union closed in 1863 when the AME Church diverted its funds to purchase Wilberforce University.)The school in Wilberforce was run by the Rev.John Brown (not the same as the abolitionist).In 1853,she joined the American Anti-Slaverly Society and became a traveling lecturer for the group.In 1854,Frances delivered her first antislaverly speech "Education and the Elevation of Colored Race."The success of this speech resulted a two-year lecture in Maine for the Anti-Slaverly Society.She traveled,lecturing throughout the East and Midwest from 1856 to 1860.In 1859,her story,"Two Offers"was published in the Anglo-AfricanMagazine,a grteat accomplishment as it became the first short story to ever be published by African-American.In 1860,she married Fenton Harper,widower with three children.They had a daughter together in 1862.For a time Frances,withdrew from the lecture circuit.After her husband died in 1864,she returned to travels and lecturing.She was a strong supporter of  prohibition and woman's suffrage.She was also active in the Unitarian Church,which supported abolition.Frances often would read her poetry at the public, meetings, including the extremely popular Bury me in a Free Land.She was connected with nation leaders in suffrage,and in 1866 gave a moving speech before the National Women's Rights Convention,demanding equal rights for all,including black women.Frances was very involved in black organizations.From 1883 to 1890,she helped organize activities for the National Woman's Christian temperance Union.She continued with her writing and continued to publish poetry.In 1892 she published Lola Leroy,or Shadows uplifted.one of the first novels by an African-American woman,it sold well and was reviewed widely.