Lydia Maria Child

Lydia Maria Child (1802–1880) was an American abolitionist, feminist, Native American rights activist, novelist, and journalist who became one of the first women to earn a living from writing. Born in Medford, Massachusetts, she gained fame with household manuals and children's literature before publishing the groundbreaking anti-slavery book 'An Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans' in 1833, which led to social ostracism but advanced the abolitionist cause. She edited the National Anti-Slavery Standard and supported women's rights throughout her life.