This Day in History February 14, 1847

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I had never heard of this lady before--maybe you have?  On this date in 1847, Anna Howard Shaw was born in England. In 1851 (or 1853), her family immigrated to the U.S., and Anna grew up on a farm in Michigan. By the age of 15, she was already teaching school on the frontier.

In 1880, she did something with which I do not agree--I do not approve of female ministers unless they are not the "lead minister" in the church. She received a degree in theology and medicine, but her desire was to be a minister. In 1880, her dream came true--she was ordained by the Methodist Protestant denomination (the Methodist Episcopal refused to permit her to preach).

Once she met Susan B. Anthony, and she resigned her pastorate in 1885. She became an advocate for women's suffrage--she even served as vice-president and president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. She fell ill during a lecture tour in 1919, and she died shortly thereafter: July 2, 1919.  She never did see women get the right to vote, but that amendment did happen shortly after he death.

For more information:
http://www.infoplease.com/birthday?month=Feb&day=14
http://www.answers.com/topic/shaw-anna-howard
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/539038/Anna-Howard-Shaw
http://www.biography.com/people/anna-howard-shaw-9480841