Frances E.W. Harper (1825-1911)
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
An author, lecturer, and social activist, Harper lived here and devoted her life to championing the rights of slaves and free Blacks. She advocated education as a way of advancement for Black Americans.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In the decades before and after the Civil War, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was among the most widely read and widely heard Black voices in America—a poet, novelist, and traveling lecturer who took the abolitionist and, later, equal-rights cause to audiences across the country. From this Philadelphia home she wrote and organized, insisting that education was the surest road to advancement for Black Americans. Her work bridged the antislavery struggle and the reform movements of the later 19th century.
Why it matters
Harper helped define the role of the Black woman as public intellectual and activist in American life, linking abolition, women's rights, and education in a single moral vision.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Bridgette Mayer0.5 mi away · 709 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Hill-Physick House0.6 mi away · 321 South 4th Street
- Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial0.7 mi away
- Congress Hall0.7 mi away · Philadelphia, PA
- Independence Hall0.7 mi away · 520 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Philosophical Hall0.7 mi away · PA
Attractions
- Italian market0.2 mi away · Christian Street
- Liberty Bell0.7 mi away · 526 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Second Bank of the United States0.7 mi away · 420 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- President's House0.8 mi away
- Carpenters' Hall0.8 mi away · 320 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Reading Terminal0.8 mi away
Food & drink
- Talula's Garden0.5 mi away · 210 West Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA
- Talula's Daily0.5 mi away · 208 West Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA
- Fat Salmon0.5 mi away · 719 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Cafe Walnut0.5 mi away · 703 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Maya's Pizza & Grill0.6 mi away · 716 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Thank You Thank You Coffee Roasters0.6 mi away · 700 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA
Places to stay
- Alexander Inn0.3 mi away · 301 301 South 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, Philadelphia, PA
- Fairfield Inn & Suites0.4 mi away · 261 South 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Morris House Hotel0.5 mi away · 225 South 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA
- DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Philadelphia Center City0.5 mi away · 237 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Cambria Hotel Philadelphia Downtown - Center City0.5 mi away · 219 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Holiday Inn Express0.5 mi away · 1305-11 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
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Related people
- · Frances E.W. Harper
Themes & tags
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