Basic Information

Henry Browne Blackwell was born in 1825 and died in 1909.  He is known for being a supporter of woman’s rights and human rights.  He is the lesser known husband of Lucy Stone, with whom he started a woman’s rights focused newspaper with.

Background Information

The 100th anniversary for the ratification of the 19th amendment is soon approaching.  Many women contributed towards women’s right to vote and have been commended for their contributions.  There are also many men who helped with the passing of this amendment, one in particular being Henry Browne Blackwell.  The lesser known husband of Lucy Stone contributed greatly towards the suffrage movement and supported the 15th amendment, unlike many other suffrage supporters.  Together they founded women’s associations and a newspaper with the hopes of making a difference for all woman in the United States.  Much like other men of his time who supported the suffrage movement, he faced many challenges as both a family man and a supporter of the movement.  Throughout the course of Blackwell’s activism, he contributed greatly to the movement and helped many women have their voices heard.

Henry Browne Blackwell was born in Bristol, England, May 4, 1825.  He traveled to the United States with his parents when he was only seven years old.  His father was a hardworking man who set up shop in New York.  This brought Blackwell in contact with slaveholders and set in motion the ways in which he viewed the mistreatment of slaves.  Henry grew up in an environment where he observed his parents working for the Anti-Slavery Fairs and took part in the fairs in the few ways he could.  As an adult, Blackwell opened a hardware store where he met Lucy Stone when she cashed a check for the treasurer of the Anti-Slavery Society in 1850.  Three years passed before Blackwell saw Lucy Stone again.  In 1853 he attended an antislavery meeting in New York where he watched Stone speak out about slavery then a few days later listened to her plea for women’s suffrage (Stone, 1970).  For two years Blackwell attempted to court Lucy Stone, and while uncommon for their time Stone refused due to being unwilling to lose her independence as a single woman.  In 1855 the two wed and agreed to having financial independence, that Stone would be in control over if and when they would become parents and that they would create a list of objections Stone had about a typical marriage (Strong, 1970).  Lucy also objected to taking her husband’s last name, thus the reasoning behind her being identified as Lucy Stone and not Blackwell. Their marriage lasted until 1893 when Lucy Stone passed away.  Their marriage was focused around the equality between women and men and their work for women’s suffrage.

Contributions to the First Wave

One of the ways in which Blackwell contributed towards the women’s suffrage movement was through the creation of a newspaper with his wife.  This newspaper was founded in 1870, approximately midway through the movement.  The paper was called The Woman’s Journal and it was produced weekly.  In 1883 Henry’s daughter begin working as an editor of the paper.  This family-based production absorbed many other productions during its time.  At the start of its creation it took on the Woman’s Advocate.  Then in 1910 it absorbed the National American Woman Suffrage Association’s publication.  In 1917, The Woman’s Journal sold the newspaper to the Woman Suffrage Commission.  The publication came to an end in 1931, after woman gained the right to vote (Lewis, 2015).  This paper was the longest running suffrage-based paper in the United states during its forty-seven years of production.  This journal discussed issues such as the right to vote for woman, education for women, and even child labor.  This form of mass media content allowed for Blackwell and his wife to reach a wider audience and to spread their knowledge and information about the suffrage movement.  Woman and men around the United States were motivated by the articles that asked them to take a stand within their community and to speak to their representative about their rights and the ways in which they could be changed (Viles, 2000).  The Woman’s Journal contributed greatly towards the suffrage movement and proved to be a productive form of advocacy.

“Let woman prove that she can speak, write, preach, audit newspapers, practice medicine, law & surgery-carry on business & do every other human thing.  And if possible let her prove too that she can do each & all of these & be a true woman in other relations also.”  Quote from Henry Browne Blackwell to his wife Lucy Stone in a letter dated June 13th, 1853 (Wheeler, 1981, p.38).

Analysis and Conclusion

Women’s suffrage was a constant uphill battle for Henry Blackwell and Lucy Stone.  He was a supportive husband and he assisted her whenever his workload allowed him.  Shortly after their marriage he lectured with her in Cincinnati.  He also helped his wife manage the National Woman’s Rights Convention and helped her set up multiple lectures throughout the Midwest.  Henry Browne Blackwell not only supported his advocating wife on her tours and conventions, but he spoke at these events as well.  Blackwell stood before Congressional committees and state legislatures and spoke out about equality and the need to include women on the vote (Wheeler,1981).  Not only did he organize and attend these events, but Blackwell also devised strategies to tackle the suffrage movement in a productive way.  His strategies were designed to focus on constitutional conventions.  He would obtain endorsements for the strategies and would travel around the states lobbying for his resolutions and was given a hearing at each event.

Henry Browne Blackwell contributed greatly towards the women’s suffrage movement.  He used his white male privilege to speak out against the injustices of the lack of rights for women.  While working alongside his advocating wife Lucy Stone, Blackwell embraced the equality between himself and Lucy.  Working together with the same desires for a nation of equality, Blackwell embraced the challenges of fighting against politicians and the general public who couldn’t see the world with woman having a voice.  Henry Blackwell passed away in 1909, just a few short years away from seeing the 19th amendment pass.  Although he wasn’t able to see his life work pay off, he was able to leave behind a legacy for many to remember.

References

Fredricks, Charles D. & Co. (New York, N.Y.). (n.d. (circa 1875-1885)). Head and Shoulders Portrait of Henry Browne Blackwell. [photographs, albumen prints, cartes de visite]. Retrieved from https://library.artstor.org/#/asset/SCHLES_130763696;prevRouteTS=1559875195748

National American Woman Suffrage Association, “The Woman’s Journal. (Boston, Mass.) 1917,” Ann Lewis Women’s Suffrage Collection, accessed April 29, 2019, https://lewissuffragecollection.omeka.net/items/show/1128.

What I Owe To My Father : Sydney Strong : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming. (1970, January 01). Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/whatiowetomyfath007743mbp/page/n10

Wheeler, Leslie. Loving Warriors: Selected Letters of Lucy Stone and Henry B. Blackwell, 1853-1893. Dial Press, 1981

Viles, D.  (2000, February). Blackwell, Henry Browne (1825-1909), Social Reformer, Editor, and Entrepreneur. American National Biography. Ed.   Retrieved 1 May. 2019, from https://www.anb.org/view/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780198606697-e-1500065