Sarah Mapps Douglass
| Sarah Mapps Douglass | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 9, 1806 |
| Died | September 8, 1882 (aged 75) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Writing Paintings |
Sarah Mapps Douglass (1806 – 1882) was an African American educator, abolitionist, writer, and public lecturer. Her painted images on her written letters may be the first or earliest surviving examples of signed paintings by an African-American woman. These paintings are contained within the Cassey Dickerson Album. The album is a rare collection of 19th century friendship letters between a group of women.
Sarah Mapps Douglass was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a prominent abolitionist family, the only daughter of Robert Douglass, a hairdresser, and Grace Bustill Douglass, a milliner and teacher. Sarah's grandfather, Cyrus Bustill, a Quaker who owned a bakery, operated a school run from his home, was one of the early members of the Free African Society, an early African American charity organization. Sarah grew up among Philadelphia's elite, and according to C. Peter Ripley "[s]he received extensive [private] tutoring as a child."
In 1825, Sarah began teaching in Philadelphia at a school organized by her mother with James Forten, the wealthy African American sailmaker. Starting in 1833, she taught briefly at the Free African School for Girls, before establishing her own school for African American girls. She was soon recognized as a talented teacher, of the sciences and arts, at which she herself excelled, and for holding her students to high standards. In 1838, the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society took over the school, retaining Sarah as the headmaster. In 1854, the school merged with the Institute for Colored Youth – now Cheyney State University – on Lombard Street, and Sarah become the head of the primary department, a position she held until her retirement in 1877.
Sarah’s role as an activist began as early as 1831, when at twenty-five, she organized the collection of money to send to William Lloyd Garrison to support the The Liberator. Sarah also helped with the creation of the Female Literary Society, a group of African American women dedicated to improving their skills and deepening their identification with slave sisters.
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