18thVirginia
Major
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2012
Since JPK Huson 1863 has been mentioning Kansas and its women, I thought it might be good to take a more in-depth look at Sarah Robinson, abolitionist Kansan and a woman who never liked John Brown. Also, I find Sarah Robinson interesting because she and her husband gave some land where their home had been located on Mount Oread in Lawrence, to an institution that I'm rather proud of having attended.
Sara Tappan Doolittle Lawrence Robinson was born in Belchertown, Massachusetts in 1827. Unusual for the day, her father offered her the same classical education which her brothers received. She was tutored in Latin and became fluent enough to read both German and French through her education at the Belchertown Classical School and the New Salem Academy. Her early education would serve Sarah Robinson well as she became the historian of the period we know as Bleeding Kansas.
She met her future husband when he treated her at age 16 and after his wife died, he started a medical practice in her town. Before traveling to California in 1851, Charles Robinson would become acquainted with Sarah once again. When he returned, he opened a medical practice in Fitchburg, Massachusetts and after their marriage in 1851, bought a newspaper, The Fitchburg News, which Sarah helped to run.
Both Sarah and Charles Robinson were anti-slavery abolitionists who believed in the need to overcome pro-slavery advocates in Kansas and hold that territory for free soil settlers. In 1854, the Robinsons committed to move to Kansas. Charles would go there in 1854 and help found Lawrence and Sarah would follow in 1855.
Sarah Lawrence Robinson
Sara Tappan Doolittle Lawrence Robinson was born in Belchertown, Massachusetts in 1827. Unusual for the day, her father offered her the same classical education which her brothers received. She was tutored in Latin and became fluent enough to read both German and French through her education at the Belchertown Classical School and the New Salem Academy. Her early education would serve Sarah Robinson well as she became the historian of the period we know as Bleeding Kansas.
She met her future husband when he treated her at age 16 and after his wife died, he started a medical practice in her town. Before traveling to California in 1851, Charles Robinson would become acquainted with Sarah once again. When he returned, he opened a medical practice in Fitchburg, Massachusetts and after their marriage in 1851, bought a newspaper, The Fitchburg News, which Sarah helped to run.
Both Sarah and Charles Robinson were anti-slavery abolitionists who believed in the need to overcome pro-slavery advocates in Kansas and hold that territory for free soil settlers. In 1854, the Robinsons committed to move to Kansas. Charles would go there in 1854 and help found Lawrence and Sarah would follow in 1855.
Sarah Lawrence Robinson