Sara A. Underwood (21 July 1838 – 16 March 1911) was a prominent English-born American freethought lecturer and writer, and an active part of the movement for women's

suffrage Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in representative democracy, public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally i ...

Life

Sara A. Underwood was born Sara A. Francis in Penrith, Cumbria, moving with her family to

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

while still a young child. She married Benjamin Franklin Underwood on 6 September 1862, the partnership described as 'a union of kindred minds as well as hearts'. Both Underwoods became well-known figures in freethinking circles and on the lecture circuit over the course of following decades. Towards the end of the 1880s, the couple moved to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

to serve as editor and manager (Benjamin) and associate editor (Sara) of the journal '' The Open Court''. ''The Open Court'' was 'devoted to the work of establishing ethics and religion upon a scientific basis.'

Work

As a lecturer, Sara A. Underwood became widely known 'for espousing liberal religious thought' for over three decades. Between 1880 and 1886 she was a co-editor of the ''Boston Index,'' the organ of the Free Religious Association. She was the editor of the Psychical Science Congress' journal, the ''Philosophic Journal'' 1893–95, and chair of the Congress of Evolutionists, part of the

World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordi ...

in Chicago in 1893. Underwood spoke and wrote in the cause of equal rights for women, and was treasurer of the

National Woman Suffrage Association The National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) was formed on May 15, 1869, to work for women's suffrage in the United States. Its main leaders were Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. It was created after the women's rights movement spl ...

of Massachusetts.

Death

Sara A. Underwood died in a

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...

Jacksonville, Illinois Jacksonville is a city in Morgan County, Illinois, Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,446 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County. It is home to Illinois College, Illinois School for the Deaf, and the ...

in the early hours of 16 March 1911.

References

External links

* '' Heroines of Freethought'' (1876) at the

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* '' Automatic or spirit writing, with other psychic experiences'' (1896) at the Internet Archive {{DEFAULTSORT:Underwood, Sara A. 1838 births 1911 deaths 19th-century American women writers Freethought in the United States Freethought writers Suffragists from Massachusetts People from Penrith, Cumbria