From the abolitionist movement’s beginnings in the eighteenth century, women played important roles in the fight against slavery. Despite discrimination from male abolitionists and social prohibitions against female activism, female abolitionists were in the forefront of the movement, writing antislavery literature, participating in abolitionist organizations, and speaking out against the evils of slavery. For many, participation in the abolitionist movement inspired an equally strong commitment to the cause of women’s rights. It is no coincidence that the 1840s saw both the intensification of the struggle over slavery and the organization of the Seneca Falls women’s rights convention. This feature includes excerpts from the writings of two of the most important female abolitionists: Angelina Grimke and Harriet Beecher Stowe. As you read them, ask yourself how their antislavery activism might have been shaped by their gender. What differences between Grimke and Stowe do you note in this context?