Hamilton Hall and Suffrage100MA were proud to unveil a historic women’s suffrage marker, honoring the legacy of extraordinary activists, the Remond family in Salem MA!
The marker celebrates the Remonds’ suffrage and abolition work and is one of five new Massachusetts marker sites on the National Votes for Women Trail. The project was funded through a grant by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation®, sponsored by the National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites (NCWHS)’s National Votes for Women Trail (NVWT), and coordinated in MA by Suffrage100MA.
The NCWHS describes the trail and the project as “A project of The National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites, The National Votes for Women Trail is collecting sites from all over our country to allow us to tell the untold story of suffrage for all women, of all ethnicities, that extends well past the passage of the 19th amendment. We currently have 44 State Coordinators and over 2000 sites on our database, which continues to grow at a rapid pace. Our partner, The William G. Pomeroy Foundation, is complementing our efforts with the donation of 250 historic roadside markers nationally”.
The NCWHS parnterd with Suffrage100MA to collaborate on the new spot that was unveiled in Salem MA to commemorate the impacts that the Remond family had on both Salem and the Suffrage movement. Suffrage100MA describes the history of the Remond family eloquently writing “An impactful free Black family, the Remond Family was committed to the abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage movement, and desegregation of schools in Salem. Parents John Remond (1785-1874), a lifelong member of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, and Nancy Lenox Remond (1786-1867) served as caretakers of Hamilton Hall at the turn of the 19th century, where they also ran their catering business. Well-respected throughout Salem for their culinary skills, hospitality, business acumen, and social advocacy, they raised their eight children to fight for their rights and the rights of others.
Charles Lenox Remond (1810–1873), their eldest child, was among the first Black abolitionist lecturers—and staunchly supportive of women’s right to join the fight. Charles gave anti-slavery speeches throughout the US and abroad, sometimes with his sister Sarah. Sarah Parker Remond (1824-1894) was a stalwart member of the Salem Female Anti-Slavery Society, the New England Anti-Slavery Society, and the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. She gave her first abolitionist address at the age of just 16 and spoke nationally and internationally on the topics of racial and gender equity. She was a speaker at the 1858 National Woman’s Rights Convention in New York. Caroline Remond Putnam (1826-1908), another sibling, was repeatedly mentioned in the abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator, served in leadership positions for the American and Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Societies, and spoke at the 1869 annual meeting of the New England Woman’s Suffrage Association”.
You can now visit Hamilton Hall and see the new plaque that has been put up outside that discusses our communities history and connection to the Suffrage Movement. You can also go to the NCWHS and Suffrage100MA websites to learn more about the project and resources about the extensive trail that spans the United States.
Photos taken from the Suffrage100MA website
Tags: community, hamilton hall, suffrage
