Mott, Lucretia (1793–1880)

AS A QUAKER MINISTER, women's rights advocate, abolitionist, peace activist, prohibitionist, educator, union supporter, and prison reform advocate, Lucretia Mott participated in most of the reform movements of the 19th century. She was born Lucretia Coffin on January 3, 1793, on the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, to Thomas and Anna Coffin. The entire Coffin family was well known for their work with the Underground Railroad. Thomas Coffin, a ship captain, was furious when he learned that his daughters were only allowed to attend the local school for two hours in the afternoon after the male students had finished. He decided to send his daughters to a Quaker school in Nine Partners, New York. First as a student and later as a teacher, Mott questioned the ...