Graceanna Lewis (1821-1912)
East Pikeland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
An early female scientist considered one of the best educated female naturalists of her day, Lewis dedicated her life to the study of botany and zoology. She exhibited her Chart of the Animal Kingdom at the Centennial Exposition in 1876, and won awards for her natural science drawings at the Columbian and Louisiana Purchase Expositions. A Quaker abolitionist, she was active in Underground Railroad activities at her family's farm nearby.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Graceanna Lewis was among the best-educated female naturalists of nineteenth-century America, devoting her life to botany and zoology at a time when science was largely closed to women. She displayed her ambitious Chart of the Animal Kingdom at the 1876 Centennial Exposition and won awards for her scientific drawings at later world's fairs. A Quaker abolitionist, she also aided freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad at her family's nearby farm.
Why it matters
Lewis embodied the union of moral conviction and intellect, breaking ground for women in American science while working to end slavery.
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Related people
- · Graceanna Lewis
Related events
- · Underground Railroad
- · 1876 Centennial Exposition
Themes & tags
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