Understanding Frances Wright Quotes

Frances Wright was a social reformer and author. She advocated for universal education, the abolition of slavery, birth control and women's rights. Wright was born September 6, 1795, in Dundee, Scotland. Following the death of Wright's parents when she was two years old, she and her siblings were sent to live with different relatives, with Wright going to live with her aunt and maternal grandfather in England. In 1813, she and a sister moved to Scotland to live with their uncle James Mylne, a strong opponent of slavery. From 1818-1820, Wright and her sister traveled in the northeastern United States before returning to England. In 1824, Wright returned to the United States, becoming a U.S. citizen in 1825. In 1825 she also purchased land near Memphis, Tennessee, with the goal of proving that the institution of slavery was unprofitable. For several reasons, her experiment failed within several years and Wright freed her slaves, accompanying them to Haiti.