[Four colored women at [illegible]]
To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled:
We, the undersigned, Mothers, wives & sisters, feeling ourselves aggrieved, & knowing that you have the power to relieve us, appeal to you to pass Sen. Sumner’s Supplementary Civil Rights Bill as calculated to meet our case.
We respectfully entreat you to hear our prayer: for we suffer indignities in public conveyances, we are deprived of privilege & advantages to which we are justly entitled in common with others. No principle was violated in the case of our Revolutionary Fathers that is not violated in our case.
Our grievances contain the essence of Slavery. The Slaveholder fed, clothed & housed his slave, poorly it is true & kept him in ignorance that the slave might not aspire to anything better than was contained in his lot. But we feed, clothe & shelter ourselves: we are striving for Education; making every effort to better our condition; & furthermore, we are taxed for the public benefit. We keenly feel all efforts made to keep us down & degrade us. [illegible strikethrough] We are told to aspire to all that is noble & elevating, to
than was contained in his lot. But we feed, clothe & shelter our-selves: we are striving for
Education; making every effort to better our condition; & furthermore, we are taxed for the public benefit. We keenly feel all efforts made to keep us down & degrade us. [struckthrough: not controlling the ballot] We are tied to aspire to all that is noble & elevating, to acquire all the conditions & surroundings of free citizens; and yet, we are subjected to mortifications, insults, & injuries, such as no free women can endure. Not controlling the ballot we are powerless to remedy the evils of which we complain; but though weak in this respect, we are morally strong in influencing our fathers, husbands & brothers; & we feel it a religious duty to use what strength we have in defence of outraged humanity; & in this spirit your petitioners will ever pray.
[left hand column]
Mrs. Louise C. Butler
Mrs. Jes T. Downing
Mrs. S.A.M. Washington
Mrs. Cordelia DeMortie
Mrs. Phillis Tallifano
Mrs. Ransom Parker
Anna Lang
Mrs. E. French
M. J. Williams
[illegible]
Mrs. James A. Harich
[illegible]
Mrs. Mary A. Hackett
Mrs. Elizabeth Johnson
Mrs. [illegible] Wilson
Mrs. [illegible] Jennings
Mrs. [illegible] Baston
Mrs. Annie M. Morrie
” C.A. Attwell
” M. M. [illegible]
Mrs. J. S. Marshall
[Right hand column]
Mrs. [illegible]
” Gufman
Mrs. A. L. Ketchum
M. [illegible]
Mrs. Mary [illegible]
Mrs. Corrie Thompson
Mrs. [illegible]
Mrs. Anna E. Blouden
Mrs. Anna E. Farrell
Rachel E. Bond
M. Betsey Johnson
Ms. Jane Thompson
