“G” is for Grimké, Sarah Moore (1792-1873), and Angelina Emily Grimké (1805-1879)

“G” is for Grimké, Sarah Moore (1792-1873), and Angelina Emily Grimké (1805-1879.) Abolitionists. Born into the upper echelon of antebellum Charleston society, the Grimké sisters first became involved in the public sphere through charity work in Charleston. Through their social work they began to challenge the contradictions between the teachings of Christian faith and the laws and practices of slaveholding society. Sarah began spending more time in Philadelphia and Angelina embraced egalitarianism and attended the intimate Quaker services available in Charleston. The sisters’ outspoken behavior led to quarrels with their siblings and suspicions from the community. They found acceptance in the North. Sarah Moore Grimké, and Angelina Emily Grimké joined the American Antislavery Society in 1835 and became the first female antislavery agents, speaking out against racial prejudice and using their firsthand experiences in South Carolina as examples.