Basic Information
Mary Ann Cary, who is also referred to as Mary Ann Shadd Cary, was born on October 9, 1823 and passed on the 5th of June in 1893. Cary was a Black feminist and activist. She was a teacher, a journalist, an editor, and a lawyer later in life. Cary dedicated her life to the abolitionist movement and involved herself in politics. Cary was a strong-willed, tenacious, educated and intelligent woman of the first wave who fought for justice.
Background Information
Mary Ann Cary was born in Wilmington, Delaware. Cary had a whopping twelve siblings and was the eldest of her siblings. Her parents, Abraham and Harriet Shadd, were both dedicated anti-slavery activists. Cary’s parents were so committed to the anti-slavery movement that they utilized their home as a station for slaves in the Underground Railroad, aiding slaves in escaping to Canada. Cary grew up as a Quaker and went to a Quaker school. After gaining the highest level of education that she could during the time of the first wave, Cary started her teaching career. In the midst of Cary’s teaching career, she moved to Canada. Cary moved to Canada after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act, which was a law that allowed the legality of individuals who were previously enslaved but were now in free states to be forced back into slavery. The Fugitive Slave Act additionally sanctioned people such as Cary’s family who aided freedom seekers in their escape (Mary Ann Shadd Cary, July 8, 2019). Moreover, Cary firmly believed in the education of previously enslaved people and thought it to be the key of both liberation and equal citizenship rights. In Canada, Cary wrote and edited for an abolitionist newspaper, making her the first woman of color to publish and edit a newspaper in the North American region (Walcott, 2000, p. 138). Furthermore, Cary moved back to the U.S. and recruited Northern Black men to join the American Civil War. Post Civil War, Cary was the first woman ever to enroll in Howard University law school, where she become one of the first women to earn a degree in law (Pedro, 2013).
Contributions to the First Wave
Mary Ann Cary contributed immensely to the first wave. After moving to Canada, Cary established the first integrated school there. This was significant in gaining equality for Black individuals because for the first time ever in Canada, Black and White children could attend school together, moving towards a non-segregated world. Moreover, Cary was the first woman to own and edit a newspaper, which was a huge step forward for women and women’s rights. Her newspaper was titled, The Provincial Freeman. Cary’s newspaper was essential to the first wave as it preached and discussed civil rights, racism, and moral reform. The newspaper was a way for Cary to reach the public, engage in politics, and talk about pressing issues of the time, particularly from a woman’s perspective (Forestell & Moynagh, 2013, p. 77). This was especially uncommon as women did not speak in public and were often dismissed when voicing their opinions on political matters. Similarly, The African-American feminist historian, Carla Peterson, states that Mary Ann Shadd Cary is a “doer of the word” (cited in Walcott 2000, p. 139). Walcott comments, “In Shadd Cary’s time to be a doer of the word was to resist the gender norms of the period” (Walcott, 2000, p. 139). From this, it is evident that Cary was a woman ahead of her time and did not conform to the stereotypical gender roles of the period. Cary was further a first wave feminist who put action to her words. Likewise, Cary was very involved in women’s suffrage and worked with women such as Susan B. Anthony among a number of other well-established women who were a part of the movement. In conclusion, Cary was one of the most prominent and pertinent abolitionists and feminists of the first wave (Atlas, 2018).
“It is better to wear out than to rust out.”
~ Mary Ann Cary (Atlas, 2018).
Analysis and Conclusion
To conclude, Mary Ann Cary plainly made numerous accomplishments during the first wave and was a woman far beyond her time. She was a feminist, Black rights activist, and abolitionist. Cary believed in equality and freedom for all, and she worked hard to achieve equal rights and raise awareness of the oppressed. Cary went so far as to go against the law to free those in slavery, even if that meant putting herself at risk. She defied societal norms that women should not speak out about what they believe in and created her own political newspaper to bring a great number of issues and injustices to the attention of the public. Cary was additionally a woman of many firsts and led a remarkable example for other women to follow.
References
Atlas, N. (2018, March 27). Mary Ann Shadd Cary. Literary Ladies Guide. Retrieved from https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/trailblazing-journalists/mary-ann-shadd-cary/.
Forestell, N. M., & Moynagh, M. (Ed.) (2013). Documenting First Wave Feminisms: Volume II: Canada – National and Transnational Contexts. Toronto: University of Toronto Press Retrieved from: https://books.google.com/books?id=kS6NAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA77&lpg=PA77&dq=Mary+Ann+Cary%27s+first+wave+contributions&source=bl&ots=8P2EEdqEFA&sig=ACfU3U0Fjpzf9QFlT05mDX4mKBuXzCXKrw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiNgeqf7a7lAhXCuZ4KHeCIBUsQ6AEwDXoECAwQAQ#v=onepage&q=Mary%20Ann%20Cary’s%20first%20wave%20contributions&f=true.
Mary Ann Shadd Cary (2019, July 8) U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/people/mary-ann-shadd-cary.htm.
Mary Ann Shadd Cary, National Archives of Canada, C-029977, Retrieved December 2, 2019 from: http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/history-ethnic-cultural/under-northern-star/Pages/mary-ann-shadd-cary.aspx
Pedro, K. (2013, October 25). Remember me? Mary Ann Shadd Cary. Retrieved from https://torontosun.com/2013/10/23/remember-me-mary-ann-shadd-cary/wcm/804aa5c6-0aa1-46dd-be80-9d7700b4c3ad.
Velez, D. O. (2017, March 26). Mary Ann Shadd Cary: black suffragist, abolitionist, publisher, and lawyer. Retrieved from https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/3/26/1609444/-Mary-Ann-Shadd-Cary-black-suffragist-abolitionist-publisher-and-lawyer.
Walcott, R. (2000). “Who Is She and What Is She to You?” Mary Ann Shadd Cary and the (Im)Possibility of Black/Canadian Studies. Atlantis: Critical Studies in Gender, Culture & Social Justice, 2000. Retrieved from: journals.msvu.ca/index.php/atlantis/article/view/1598.