Essay On Maria W. Stewart

Maria W. Stewart was best known for being one of her era’s most effective anti-slavery activists. She was the earliest known American women to publicly lecture on political issues. She spoke out against victimization, tyranny, and injustice by delivering speeches and publishing essays. Although she only delivered few speeches, she is most famous for heroically doing so at Boston in the early 1830’s. This was a time when no women, regardless, of race dared to publicly address a crowd. Stewart can also be seen as a villain by her urge for blacks to exercise character and virtue equal to white standards, which may cause some controversy, and for struggling with sin before she fully committed herself to God. Through her works, “Stewart produced

a significant body of revolutionary work that helped originate black women’s rhetorical and intellectual traditions”.
Maria W.

Stewart used her essays and lectures to provide all people with a sense of justice and freedom. She often utilized the bible and the Constitution of the United States to do this. In her essays, she often included Books of Lamentations, Ester, Mathew, etc. For example, in her use of the Book of Revelation, she declared that God would use destruction and rebellion to punish slaveholders. She also used the Bible to “defend her right to speak and lectured on religion, justice, and equality”.

Moreover, Stewart lived through an era where abolition was popular. Especially in the Northeastern United States, where Stewart was born and where she lived throughout most of her life, abolition was a major issue. She was a famous public speaker known for delivering lectures in the 1830’s. Stewart delivered her first speech at the African American Intelligence Society to a woman only audience. She later delivered her second lecture in 1832 to an audience that also included men at Franklin Hall.

Maria W. Stewart was viewed by her followers as a positive influence for her strong voice in the abolitionist movement. She declared that “It is not the color of the skin that makes the man, but it is the principle formed within the soul”. Those who attended her lectures followed her

movements.
On the other hand, Maria W. Stewart can also be seen as a villain for her belief that blacks should exercise character and virtue equal to whites in order to for whites to recognize the equality of races and her initial struggle with sin. Steward preached that black men must be like white men to “give the man of color an equal opportunity with the white from the cradle to manhood”. Her sins before her conversion, compelled her to” come forward, and endeavor to turn their attention to knowledge and improvement”.
To end, it can be said that Maria W. Stewart was a great anti-slavery activist. She delivered lectures that significantly influenced the people’s opinion. However, she also had some villain qualities. Stewart could be seen as both a hero and a villain for many reasons, as mentioned above. She generally had a positive influence on American history as she was a great voice in the abolitionist movement.