United States
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Mary Ann Shadd
Wilmington (Delaware), United States
Archival Overview
Pioneering abolitionist, educator, and suffragist who became the first Black female newspaper publisher in North America (The Provincial Freeman) in Canada and the second Black woman in the United States to earn a law degree.
Biographical Record
Mary Ann Shadd (1823–1893) grew up in a prominent Underground Railroad family. Following the passage of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, she emigrated to Windsor, Ontario, opening an integrated school for fugitive enslaved refugees.
In 1853, Shadd founded 'The Provincial Freeman', fearlessly editing the abolitionist weekly under the motto 'Self-Reliance is the True Road to Independence'. Returning to the US during the Civil War as a recruiting officer for the Union Army, she later graduated from Howard University School of Law at age sixty, campaigning tirelessly for women's suffrage.
Key Life Milestones
First Black Woman Newspaper Publisher in North America
Launched 'The Provincial Freeman' in Canada, championing abolition and Black self-sufficiency.
Howard University Law Degree at Age Sixty
Graduated as one of the earliest African American women attorneys in the nation.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialHyattsville (Maryland), United States