Isaac & Dinah Mendenhall (1806-82 / 1807-89)
Kennett Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Quaker abolitionists, the Mendenhalls harbored freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad in their nearby home, Oakdale. Originally members of Old Kennett Meeting, which became divided on the issue of slavery, they helped found Longwood Progressive Meeting in 1853. Dinah was a member of a committee that met with Pres. Lincoln in 1862 to urge him to enact the Emancipation Proclamation. Both were firm supporters of women's voting rights.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Isaac and Dinah Mendenhall were Quaker abolitionists whose Chester County home, Oakdale, sheltered freedom seekers moving north on the Underground Railroad. When their Old Kennett Meeting split over slavery, they helped found the reform-minded Longwood Progressive Meeting in 1853. Dinah joined a delegation that pressed President Lincoln in 1862 to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, and the couple championed women's right to vote as well.
Why it matters
The Mendenhalls embody the Quaker conscience that linked antislavery, women's rights, and direct action, turning private faith into public resistance in the years before emancipation.
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Related people
- · Isaac Mendenhall
- · Dinah Mendenhall
- · Abraham Lincoln
Related events
- · Underground Railroad
- · Emancipation Proclamation
Themes & tags
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