Amanda Deyo (October 24, 1838 – November 1, 1917) was an American Universalist minister,

pacifist Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...

, and correspondent. She was also a founder of women's right societies.

Early years and education

Julia Amanda Halstead was born in

Clinton, Dutchess County, New York Clinton is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 4,037 in the 2020 census, down from 4,312 in the 2010 census. History The current boundaries of the town of Clinton were set in 1821. The general area was part ...

, October 24, 1838. She was reared in the Society of

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

, and for many years, she was an active participant in their meetings. At the age of fifteen, she became a school teacher. After teaching for some time, she attended the

Poughkeepsie, New York Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsi ...

, Collegiate Institute, from which she was graduated in 1857.

Career

In 1857, she married Charles B. Deyo, a farmer of

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

descent. He aided his wife in her efforts for the improvement of humanity. Their family consists of two daughters. Deyo was present at one of the early anniversaries of the

Universal Peace Union The Universal Peace Union was a pacifist organization founded by former members of the American Peace Society in Providence, Rhode Island with the adoption of its constitution on 16 May 1866; it was chartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 9 Apri ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, where she met

Lucretia Mott Lucretia Mott (''née'' Coffin; January 3, 1793 – November 11, 1880) was an American Quaker, abolitionist, women's rights activist, and social reformer. She had formed the idea of reforming the position of women in society when she was amongs ...

, Alfred H. Love, and others of the friends of peace. There, she made her mark as an advocate of the doctrines of that organization, and thereafter, she was an active supporter of the cause. She attended all the peace anniversaries throughout the United States, traveled extensively, spoke often and organized numerous peace societies. Amanda Deyo

Deyo became an ordained minister in the Universalist church in 1885. In 1888, she was called to the pastorate of the Universalist Church in

Oxford, New York Oxford is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Chenango County, New York, Chenango County, New York (state), New York, United States. The town contains a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village also named Oxford (villa ...

, having previously served as pastor of the Universalist Church in Poughkeepsie. She was later the pastor of All Souls Universalist Church in

Scranton, Pennsylvania Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U ...

, and by 1893, she was unanimously chosen to be the minister of the Universalist Church in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

. She was so closely identified with the organizations devoted to the abolition of war that she was called the "Peacemaker." Deyo was one of the delegates of the

to the

International Peace Congress International Peace Congress, or International Congress of the Friends of Peace, was the name of a series of international meetings of representatives from peace societies from throughout the world held in various places in Europe from 1843 to 185 ...

and the Exposition Universelle of 1889, and did some effective work in the peace cause. Her address to the congress was printed and distributed at the Exposition. She was also present and presented a paper in the Woman's Rights Congress in Paris. She represented the union in the Woman's Council held in

Washington, D. C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

in March, 1888, and signalized the occasion by calling a grand peace meeting in the Church of Our Father, where many prominent women made addresses. In addition to her work in the ministry, preaching three times each Sunfsy and attending funerals and weddings, she was an active worker in the

temperance Temperance may refer to: Moderation *Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed *Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion Culture *Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...

and

prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...

cause, and at one time, traveled and lectured for that interest and organized its work. However, her greatest efforts were made towards substituting peace for war and harmonizing the difficulties constantly arising in families, neighborhoods and churches. By her efforts and those of her husband, the

Dutchess County Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later organ ...

Peace Society, one of the large and flourishing branches of the Universal Peace Union, was organized in 1875 and kept active by them until her ministerial duties made it necessary to turn over the work to others.

Personal life

After Deyo retired, she returned to the Quaker faith. She died November 1, 1917, in

Glen Cove, New York Glen Cove is a Political subdivisions of New York State#City, city in Nassau County, New York, United States, on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island. At the 2020 United States Census, the city population was 28,365 as of th ...

References

Attribution

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Bibliography

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Deyo, Amanda 1838 births 1917 deaths People from Dutchess County, New York Clergy of the Universalist Church of America Women Christian religious leaders American Christian pacifists American temperance activists American Quakers American women's rights activists Quaker feminists International Congress of Women people Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century