Biographical Database of NAWSA Suffragists, 1890-1920

Biography of Charlotte Julia Thomas, 1822-1920

By Misha Seifi, undergraduate student, University of California, San Diego

Miss Charlotte Julia Thomas was born in Portland, Maine, on May 22, 1822. She was the daughter of Elias and Elizabeth Widgery Thomas, who were wealthy antislavery activists. Charlotte's mother often collaborated with well-known abolitionists, such as William Lloyd. Garrison, Parker Pillsbury, and Wendell Phillips. The Thomas household was a well-known and important stop on the Underground Railroad, and Charlotte's brother, George Albert Thomas, played an important role in aiding fugitive slaves. Charlotte never married and was endearingly known as "Aunt Charlotte" within her large circle of friends and hometown.

Being born into a family of activists, Charlotte also shared their enthusiasm for activism from a young age and played an active role in both the anti-slavery and woman suffrage movements throughout her entire life. She supported the woman suffrage movement from its onset in Maine, as she was one of the few people who gave sympathy and hospitality to suffragist Lucy Stone Blackwell at a time when her beliefs were highly unpopular. Charlotte was also a long-time friend of Susan B. Anthony and a personal associate of Frederick Douglass and many other antislavery leaders. In volume four of the History of Woman Suffrage, she was recognized as part of the group of individuals who were critical in securing better legislation for the women of Maine during the latter part of the nineteenth century. Among her many contributions, a significant one was raising the age of consent for girls to age 14 from age 10 and providing legal protection for girls ages 14 to 16 years from men older than age 21.

Throughout the years, Charlotte attended a number of annual meetings for the Maine Woman Suffrage Association (MWSA) and National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA). In 1881, she was elected as one of the vice presidents of NWSA. In 1889, Charlotte led a petition drive to gather 100 signatures for a suffrage petition. She also attended the 1897 annual Maine Suffrage Meeting as the delegate-at-large for the Portland Equal Suffrage Club. In 1904, Charlotte conducted a public meeting in support for women's suffrage, which drew a large attendance. In 1915, at age 93, Charlotte continued to demonstrate her loyalty to the woman suffrage movement when she stated that she had "not yet given up hope of casting a ballot for the candidates of her choice."

Charlotte passed away in Portland, Maine, on November 10, 1920, at age 98. On the "Portland Freedom Trail" plaque located in the cemetery where she is buried, she is listed as one of the eight notable Portland abolitionists buried there.

Sources:

"Chapter XLIII: Maine." In History of Woman Suffrage, Vol. 4: 1883-1900, edited by Ida Husted Harper and Susan B. Anthony, 863-68. Rochester, NY: Privately Published, 1902. [LINK]

"Chapter XXIX: Congressional Reports and Conventions, 1880-1881." In History of Woman Suffrage, Vol. 3: 1876-1885, edited by Matilda Joslyn Gage, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 249-97. Rochester, NY: Privately Published, 1886. https://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/bibliographic_entity%7Cdocument%7C2532654.

"Charlotte Julia Thomas (1822-1920) - Find A Grave..." Find a Grave. Accessed June 1, 2021. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/73163339/charlotte-julia-thomas.

"Daily Kennebec Journal Archives, Dec 8, 1904, P. 6." Newspaperarchive.com. Accessed June 01, 2021. https://newspaperarchive.com/daily-kennebec-journal-dec-08-1904-p-6/.

"Daily Kennebec Journal Archives, May 10, 1916, P. 6." Newspaperarchive.com. Accessed June 01, 2021. https://newspaperarchive.com/daily-kennebec-journal-may-10-1916-p-6/.

"Frederick Douglass to Lydia Dennett, 17 April 1857." The Frederick Douglass Papers: Series Three: Correspondence, Vol. 2: 1853-1865, 209-211. https://books.google.com/books?id= 4pJVDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PR4&pg=PA211#v=onepage&q&f=false.

"George Albert Thomas Papers (1829-1847)." George Albert Thomas Papers 1829-1847. Accessed June 01, 2021. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/clementsead/umich-wcl-M-2886.2tho?id=navbarbrowselink;view.

"Portland Daily Press Archives, Dec 6, 1893, P. 14." Newspaperarchive.com. Accessed June 01, 2021. https://newspaperarchive.com/portland-daily-press-dec-06-1893-p-14/.

"Portland Daily Press Archives, Jan 24, 1889, P. 4." Newspaperarchive.com. Accessed June 01, 2021. https://newspaperarchive.com/portland-daily-press-jan-24-1889-p-4/.

"Portland Daily Press Archives, Nov 23, 1898, P. 7." Newspaperarchive.com. Accessed June 01, 2021. https://newspaperarchive.com/portland-daily-press-nov-23-1898-p-7/.

11 Works Cited

U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/73163339/charlotte-julia-thomas

George Albert Thomas Papers, William L. Clements Library, The University of Michigan. Obituary Record of the Graduates of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine, Journal Print Shop, Lewiston, Maine, 1911. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/clementsead/umich-wcl-M-2886.2tho?id=navbarbrowselink;view=text

Daily Kennebec Journal

Portland Daily Press

  • Portland Daily Press, January 24, 1889 Pg. 4, Portland, Maine, US https://newspaperarchive.com/portland-daily-press-jan-24-1889-p-4/
    • Meeting for Maine Woman Suffrage Association, hall overflowing with people
    • Lead a petition drive to gather 100 signatures for a petition she received from Rev. Henry Blanchard
    • Shows how Charlotte played an active role
  • Portland Daily Press, December 06, 1893 Pg. 14, Portland, Maine, US https://newspaperarchive.com/portland-daily-press-dec-06-1893-p-14/
    • Attended the annual meeting of Maine Woman Suffrage Association
    • Recognized as one of the "old Abolitionists"
    • One of the very few who gave Lucy Stone Blackwell (leading suffragist and abolitionist) sympathy/hospitality in the days when her beliefs were unpopular, supported women's suffrage from the very beginning of the movement in Maine.
  • Portland Daily Press, January 11, 1896 Pg. 4, Portland, Maine, US https://newspaperarchive.com/portland-daily-press-jan-11-1896-p-4/
    • Attended the annual meeting of Maine Woman Suffrage Association
    • Announced as one of the delegates to the National Convention at Washington
  • Portland Daily Press, September 26, 1898 Pg. 12, Portland, Maine, US https://newspaperarchive.com/portland-daily-press-sep-26-1898-p-12/
    • Well-known, respected activist leader Susan B. Anthony arrived in city and stayed as guest with "long-time friend" Charlotte
  • Portland Daily Press, November 23, 1898 Pg. 7, Portland, Maine, US https://newspaperarchive.com/portland-daily-press-nov-23-1898-p-7/
    • Attended the Portland Equal Suffrage club meeting
    • Charlotte presented her report for the annual state suffrage meeting held at Hampden the previous year, which she attended as the delegate at large
    • "Miss Thomas has been a suffragist for many years, and has accomplished much for the good of the cause." → well-respected, well-known

    HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE

    VOL 3:
    History of Woman Suffrage, Vol. 3: 1876-1885. Ed. Matilda Joslyn Gage, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Rochester: Privately Published, 1886. Women and Social Movements in the United States,1600-2000 Database. Web. https://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/bibliographic_entity%7Cbibliographic_details%7C2532607#page/297/mode/1/chapter/bibliographic_entity%7Cdocument%7C2532654

    VOL 4:

    "Chapter XLIII: Maine." History of Woman Suffrage, Vol. 4: 1883-1900. Ed. Ida Husted Harper and Susan B. Anthony. Rochester: Privately Published, 1902. 863-68. Women and Social Movements in the United States,1600-2000 Database. Web. Accessed May 8, 2021. https://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/bibliographic_entity%7Cdocument%7C2532917#page/868/mode/1/chapter/bibliographic_entity%7Cdocument%7C2532917.

    The Frederick Douglass Papers: Series Three: Correspondence, Volume 5: 1853-1865.

    Frederick Douglass to Lydia Dennett, 17 April 1857, Pg 209-211 https://books.google.com/books?id=4pJVDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA211&lpg=PA211&dq=charlotte+julia+thomas+portland+maine&source=bl&ots=dbFB10jRdk&sig=ACfU3U09fFnG3dYgx5A-GY0_Bkl_mIPLxA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi_zfi0qsDwAhWFu54KHf2fDeYQ6AEwBHoECAcQAw#v=onepage&q&f=false
    In a letter to Lydia Dennett on 17 April 1857, abolitionist Frederick Douglass expresses a greeting to Charlotte, emphasizing Miss Charlotte's strong connection with Frederick Douglass and abolitionism.

    FOOTNOTES & SOURCES:

      • "Chapter XXIX: Congressional Reports and Conventions, 1880-1881." Pg. 297
        • "At the close of the anniversary week in Boston, successful meetings were held in various cities, 28 beginning at Providence, where Dr. Wm. F. Channing made the arrangements. These conventions were the first that the National Association ever held in the New England States, presenting the national plan of woman's enfranchisement through a sixteenth amendment to the United States Constitution."
        • "28: PORTLAND, Me. — City Hall, June 2, 3. Rev. Dr. McKeown of the M. E. Church made the address of welcome. Letter read from Dr. Henry C. Garrish. Among the speakers were Charlotte Thomas, A. J. Grover."
      • Pg. 867, Ch XLIII
        • "In 1887 the "age of protection" for girls was raised from 10 to 13 years. In 1889 it was advanced to 14 years, providing unqualified protection, with penalty of imprisonment for life or for a term of years. In 1897 an act was passed providing a "qualified" protection for girls between 14 and 16 — that is, protection from men over twenty-one years of age."
        • Promoted better legislation for women and girls
      • Page 868, Chapter XLIII
        • 3. Among those who have been instrumental in securing better legislation for the women of the State may be mentioned the Hon. Thomas Brackett Reed, Judge Joseph W. Symonds, Franklin Payson; ex-Governors Joseph Bodwell, Frederick Robie, Henry B. Cleaves and Llewellyn Powers; Mesdames Augusta Merrill Hunt, Margaret T. W. Merrill and Ann Frances Greeley; Dr. Abby Mary Fulton and the Misses Cornelia M. Dow, Charlotte Thomas and Elizabeth Upham Yates.
      • 1880 U.S. Census, Maine, Cumberland County, 303
      • Bangor Daily Whig, 25 September 1885, 1 January 1890, 5 May 1893
      • Beedy, Mothers of Maine, 236-39
        • Born and raised in Portland, Cumberland, Maine
        • 1822-1920
        • Daughter of elias and elizabeth widgery thomas, wealthy antislavery activists
        • Thomas home was important stop on Underground Railroad
        • Charlotte's mother was known to entertain and collaborate with activists William Llyod Garrison, Parker Pillsbury, Wendell Phillips
        • Shared enthusiasm for activism, participated in antislavery movement and Maine Woman Suffrage Association
        • Well-known entertainer, had connections with many notable people (Frederick Douglass, hosted Susan B. Anthony)
        • Enjoyed drama and opera, had literary salon that included Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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