And the Spirit Moved Them: The Lost Radical History of America's First Feminists

by Helen LaKelly Hunt, Cornel West (Foreword by)

Overview

The New York Times–bestselling author of Getting the Love You Want sends out a ‘call for renewed feminist action, based on “the spirit and ethic of love’” (Kirkus Reviews).

A decade before the Seneca Falls Convention, black and white women joined together at the 1837 Anti-Slavery Convention of American Women in the first instance of political organizing by American women for American women. Incited by “holy indignation,” these pioneers believed it was their God-given duty to challenge both slavery and patriarchy. Although the convention was largely written out of history for its religious and interracial character, these women created a blueprint for an intersectional feminism that was centuries ahead of its time.

Part historical investigation, part personal memoir, Hunt traces how her research into nineteenth-century organizing led her to become one of the most significant philanthropists in modern history. Her journey to confront her position of power meant taking control of an oil fortune that was being deployed on her behalf but without her knowledge, and acknowledging the feminist faith animating her life’s work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781558614291
Publisher:	Feminist Press at CUNY, The
Publication date:	05/16/2017
Pages:	248
Sales rank:	536,914
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Helen LaKelly Hunt, PhD, is a feminist philanthropist, activist, and scholar. The founder or co-founder of several organizations including the Sister Fund and Women Moving Millions, she also developed, with husband Harville Hendrix, the Imago mode of relationship therapy. She is the author of Faith and Feminism and the coauthor of bestsellers including Giving the Love That Heals and Making Marriage Simple.

Cornel West is a prominent and provocative democratic intellectual. He is a professor of philosophy and Christian practice at Union Theological Seminary and professor emeritus at Princeton University. He is best known for his classics, Race Matters and Democracy Matters, and for his memoir, Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud. Dr. West is a frequent guest on the Bill Maher Show, Colbert Report, CNN, C-Span, and Democracy Now.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Foreword: Holy Indignation Cornel West xiii

Introduction: Her Voice, Her Pen, Her Purse 1

Chapter 1 Band of Sisters 27

Chapter 2 A Convention Like No Other 52

Chapter 3 A Public Voice 84

Chapter 4 Fiery Backlash 113

Chapter 5 Walking with God 135

Chapter 6 Sympathy for the Woman 155

Chapter 7 A Bodyguard of Hearts 176

Conclusion: "Thine in the Bonds of Womanhood 198

Notes 221

Appendix A Timeline of the Abolitionist Women's Movement 233

Editorial Reviews

03/20/2017
Philanthropist and therapist Hunt (Faith and Feminism) addresses elements of early feminism, primarily its interracial and religious aspects, which she asserts were “lost in the century.” “The origin of modern feminism is its Christian bedrock” is a central theme in the book, as Hunt revisits all-women antislavery conventions held in America in the late 1830s. Notable—but not necessarily forgotten—figures appear (generally referred to by their first names), among them Lydia Maria Child, Sarah and Angelina Grimke, and Lucretia Mott, and the lesser-known Mary Grew and Abby Kelly. Hunt is attentive to the involvement of black women, particularly Grace and Sarah Douglass and Sarah Forten. The book is framed by accounts of Hunt’s personal history and involvement with women’s organizations. Unfortunately, factual inaccuracies (e.g., she names Frederick Douglass as one of the founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1833) and unsubstantiated claims (she writes that a group of organizers “took to heart the words written decades earlier by Phillis Wheatley” but does not provide evidence of them having ever read Wheatley’s work) plague this lighthearted treatment of a well-known segment in the history of the women’s movement. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"Enlightening work. . . .A reminder that women have always been political and loud and brave in the faces of those who say we can't be." —Bust magazine "A powerful and pleasurable read. . . . Hunt has done the feminist movement a service by breathing new life into the memory of its earliest days." —Bitch magazine "Timely reading." —Kirkus Reviews "An inspiring look at a neglected part of history. Recommended for readers interested in women's rights, feminism, and political organizing." —Library Journal "We may never know why Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony chose to start their history of women's suffrage with Seneca Falls, not the earlier convention of abolitionist suffragists who fought against cruelties imposed by race and sex, but thanks to the revelations in And The Spirit Moved Them, this crucial and inspiring history is no longer lost to us. A must read for all who care about the past and present intertwining of sex and race—in other words, who care about human rights." —Gloria Steinem, author of My Life on the Road “Helen Lakelly Hunt brings to life a lost chapter in American history of great historical importance—and of direct relevance to our turbulent times. It shows how working together across races and classes women can challenge entrenched beliefs justifying domination and injustice. I highly recommend this beautifully written book for everyone, young and old.” —Riane Eisler, author of The Chalice and the Blade “Helen LaKelly Hunt has a rare talent for illuminating lost chapters of history. She sheds light on the little-known intersectional beginnings of American feminism, reminding us that human relationships lie at the heart of every lasting social movement. This is a story to be shared with all the women in your life.” —Sheila C. Johnson, co-founder BET “Helen Hunt tells us a little known but profoundly moving story from the annals of American history. It is a story that needs to be told, now more than ever before; a story of sisterhood that is as deeply spiritual as it is political, a sisterhood that defied the racial barriers of its day to create a movement with lasting impact. More than a century later, we have lessons we need to learn from them. Let their brave and fierce voices no longer be lost to history." —Serene Jones, President of Union Theological Center “These stories can’t be hidden any longer, just as we can no longer deny the bias and prejudice that resides so deeply in our systems, culture, and ourselves. Thank you, Helen LaKelly Hunt, for discovering and bringing forth the contribution of these women, willing to risk all to stand for justice and human dignity.” —Lauren Embrey, Founder, Dallas Faces Race

From the Publisher

04/15/2017
Hunt (Faith and Feminism) argues that the women's rights movement did not start at Seneca Falls, NY, in 1848, but rather at the Anti-Slavery Convention of American Women in 1837. Although the goal of the convention was to end slavery, the organizers put together a plan that would eventually be built upon for later women's rights initiatives. At the time of the convention, women were discouraged from publicly sharing their political views, but Hunt shows how attendees overcame ingrained societal norms and opposition from both outside and within the movement. An additional concern was race relations, since the event encouraged both blacks and whites to take part. Prominent figures in the movement are briefly profiled, including Lucretia Mott, Angelina Grimké, Sarah Grimké, and Abby Kelley, among others. The primary focus is the inclusive spirit of the conventions and the deep religious faith of the participants, which moved them to action. Finally, Hunt outlines practices from the early days of women's movements to modern protest organizers. VERDICT An inspiring look at a neglected part of history. Recommended for readers interested in women's rights, feminism, and political organizing.—Rebekah Kati, Durham, NC

Library Journal

2017-02-20
The story of the abolitionists of the early to mid-19th century who set the stage for women's campaign for equality and the vote.Growing up in a wealthy family in which her father was "the dictator of the house," Hunt (Faith and Feminism: A Holy Alliance, 2004, etc.) felt an immediate sense of kinship with 19th-century feminist abolitionists who railed against patriarchal culture. She was "captivated," she writes, "by these women who had declared their right to shout out against slavery and claim their own authority." The author sees these reformers as the true founders of American feminism, years before the iconic Seneca Falls Convention of 1848. Hunt has two aims in her revisionist history: to celebrate women such as Angelina and Sarah Grimké, Mary Grew, Lydia Maria Child, Maria Weston Chapman, Sarah Douglass, and Catharine Beecher, who have been largely overshadowed by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony; and, equally as important, to highlight the women's religious faith. Early feminists, she writes, viewed abolition as "a sacred mission and religious vocation." They felt "armed by God," as they denounced church hierarchy and pro-slavery clerics. The Southern church, Hunt discovered, "gave religious cover to slavery, citing carefully chosen Bible verses and propagating the notion that the slaves were heathens." Feminist abolitionists countered with their own reading of Scripture, emphasizing God's love and compassion. Although they shared faith, not all feminists saw blacks as equals; agreed that black men should be enfranchised; nor considered women to be men's equals. Defiant as they were against slavery, many women believed that only white men should wield political power, with women's "proper sphere" relegated to the home. These differences sowed seeds of dissension among various factions of abolitionists. Regretting the absence of "Christian zeal" among contemporary feminists, Hunt urges a union between secular and faith-based feminism, inclusive of all religions. The faith-based argument is not always convincing, but the author's call for renewed feminist action, based on "the spirit and ethic of love," makes for timely reading.

Kirkus Reviews