Salem Honors Remond Family with Historic Women’s Suffrage Trail Marker at Hamilton Hall
Hamilton Hall and Suffrage100MA will proudly unveil a historic women’s suffrage marker honoring the legacy of extraordinary activists, the Remond Family, on Thursday, June 23 at 2pm. The marker will celebrate the Remonds’ suffrage and abolition work and encourage passers-by to learn more, and will become one of five new Massachusetts marker sites on the National Votes for Women Trail. The project is funded through a grant by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation®, sponsored by the National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites (NCWHS)’s National Votes for Women Trail (NVWT), and coordinated by Suffrage100MA.
THE REMOND FAMILY
An impactful free Black family, the Remond Family was committed to the abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage movement, and desegregation of schools in Salem. Parents John Remond (1785-1874), a lifelong member of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, and Nancy Lenox Remond (1786-1867) served as caretakers of Hamilton Hall at the turn of the 19th century, where they also ran their catering business. Well-respected throughout Salem for their culinary skills, hospitality, business acumen, and social advocacy, they raised their eight children to fight for their rights and the rights of others.
Charles Lenox Remond (1810–1873), their eldest child, was among the first Black abolitionist lecturers—and staunchly supportive of women’s right to join the fight. In one telling example, when the 1840 World Antislavery Convention in London voted that women would NOT be allowed to vote or participate and had to sit separately behind a curtain, he and William Lloyd Garrison joined the women’s section in an act of solidarity. Charles gave anti-slavery speeches throughout the US and abroad, sometimes with his sister Sarah.
Sarah Parker Remond (1824-1894) was a stalwart member of the Salem Female Anti-Slavery Society, the New England Anti-Slavery Society, and the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. She gave her first abolitionist address at the age of just 16 and spoke nationally and internationally on the topics of racial and gender equity. She was a speaker at the 1858 National Woman’s Rights Convention in New York.
Caroline Remond Putnam (1826-1908), another sibling, was repeatedly mentioned in the abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator, served in leadership positions for the American and Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Societies, and spoke at the 1869 annual meeting of the New England Woman’s Suffrage Association.
“We’re excited to celebrate the extraordinary legacy of the Remond Family at Hamilton Hall with this marker, which will also help educate the Salem community and visitors about the vital role they served in the progress of our country’s history,” says Michael Selbst, President of The Board of Directors for Hamilton Hall. “As advocates for human rights, the Remonds remind us all to stand up and raise our voices today for those experiencing discrimination. And Hamilton Hall is pleased to present additional educational programming related to the marker, beginning with a historical talk by Professor Gwendolyn Rosemond on June 26.”
March 2021