African American History and Women

What's included? See note below timeline.

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Women and African American History: 1700-1799

1711

• a Pennsylvania law outlawing slavery was overturned by Britain's Queen Anne

1746

• Lucy Terry wrote "Bar's Fight," the first known poem by an African American (it was not published until after Phillis Wheatley's poems were)

1753 or 1754

• Phillis Wheatley born (slave, poet, first published African American writer)

1773

• Phillis Wheatley's book of poems published in England, making her the first published African American writer

1777

• Vermont (not yet a state) outlawed slavery

1780

• Massachusetts passed a law abolishing slavery and giving African American men (but not women) the right to vote

1784

• (December 5) Phillis Wheatley died (poet, slave; first published African American writer)

1787

• Thomas Jefferson's daughter, Mary, joins him in Paris, with Sally Hemings accompanying her to Paris

1792

• Sarah Moore Grimke born (abolitionist, women's rights proponent)

1793

• (January 3) Lucretia Mott born (Quaker abolitionist and women's rights advocate)

about 1797

• Sojourner Truth (Isabella Van Wagener) born a slave (abolitionist, women's rights proponent, minister, lecturer)

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[1492-1699] [1700-1799] [1800-1829] [1830-1839] [1840-1849] [1850-1859] [1860-1863] [1864-1869] [1870-1879] [1880-1889] [1890-1899] [1900-1909] [1910-1919] [1920-1929] [1930-1939] [1940-1949] [1950-1959] [1960-1969] [1970-1979] [1980-1989] [1990-1999] [2000-]
[Biographies of Notable African American Women]

Events in this timeline include:

• events featuring African American women
• birth and death dates for many notable African American women
• general African American events which had significant impact on African American women and families as well as men
• events involving key women whose work influenced African American history, for instance the involvement of many European American women in anti-slavery work
• birth and death dates for key women whose work was important in African American history, for instance in anti-slavery or civil rights work