The Grimké sisters' house now.

Sarah and Angelina Grimké were both born in South Carolina—Sarah in 1792 and Angelina in 1805. They were two of the fourteen children of John Grimké (a planter and judge) and Mary Smith Grimké.

When they were growing up, Sarah and Angelina’s parents didn’t think their daughters should be educated like their brothers. But that didn’t stop Sarah and Angelina from exploring. They read books from their father’s library, learning about many different things.

When Sarah was older, she met the Society of Friends (also known as the Quakers), who she found to share her growing beliefs that slavery should end. Sarah became a Quaker in 1821, and Angelina followed in her footsteps in 1829.

Angelina, however, wanted to do more. She joined the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society and began to write letters against slavery for the newspaper The Liberator. When Angelina’s writings caught the attention of other abolitionists, Sarah decided to join her sister in the fight against slavery.

The Grimké sisters published many works expressing justice against slavery and for women’s rights. However, women’s rights activists and abolitionists often didn’t agree with each other, which made Sarah and Angelina not fully welcome in either cause.