Stone, Lucy

Lucy Stone was a prominent American abolitionist and suffragist. She was the wife of American abolitionist Henry Brown Blackwell, and the mother of suffragette and human rights defender Alice Stone Blackwell. Lucy Stone is known for being the first recorded American woman to keep her own last name upon marriage. Many women who keep their maiden names after marriage are referred to as “Lucy Stoners.” The Lucy Stone League in New York City was established in 1921, dedicated to aiding women in keeping and legally using their maiden names after marriage.

Lucy Stone was born the eighth of nine children on August 13, 1818, in West Brookfield, Massachusetts. As a young girl, Lucy watched her father manage his household by “divine right.” She was intelligent and ...