Fanny Baker Ames
Encyclopedia
Fanny Baker Ames was a philanthropist and women's rights leader. Born Julia Francis Baker in Canandaigua, New York she briefly attended Antioch College
. When the American Civil War
came, she volunteered in military hospitals.
Ames married her husband, the Unitarian activist Reverend Charles Gordon Ames, on June 25, 1863. Together, they supported the American Woman Suffrage Association. They were also dedicated abolitionists and social reformers. Mrs. Ames worked especially to evoke a new approach to philanthropy in the late nineteenth century. In her speech "The Care of Dependent Children" before feminists at the National Council of Women, she advocated that society deal with poor people as individuals, instead of "helpless masses". When there was conflict between the American Woman Suffrage Association and the National Woman Suffrage Association, Mr. and Mrs. Ames quietly withdrew their support from the AWSA.
In the wake of the Panic of 1873
she founded the Germantown Relief Society. By the 1880s, under the aegis of the Children's Aid Society
, in which she was one of the first women inspectors, she travelled across Pennsylvania, reforming almshouse
s.
By the 1890s she was a prominent member of the Anti-Imperialist League. In 1899 she was selected to be one of the original members of the board of trustees of Simmons College
Antioch College
Antioch College is a private, independent liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States. It was the founder and the flagship institution of the six-campus Antioch University system. Founded in 1852 by the Christian Connection, the college began operating in 1853 with politician and...
. When the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
came, she volunteered in military hospitals.
Ames married her husband, the Unitarian activist Reverend Charles Gordon Ames, on June 25, 1863. Together, they supported the American Woman Suffrage Association. They were also dedicated abolitionists and social reformers. Mrs. Ames worked especially to evoke a new approach to philanthropy in the late nineteenth century. In her speech "The Care of Dependent Children" before feminists at the National Council of Women, she advocated that society deal with poor people as individuals, instead of "helpless masses". When there was conflict between the American Woman Suffrage Association and the National Woman Suffrage Association, Mr. and Mrs. Ames quietly withdrew their support from the AWSA.
In the wake of the Panic of 1873
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...
she founded the Germantown Relief Society. By the 1880s, under the aegis of the Children's Aid Society
Children's Aid Society
__notoc__The Children’s Aid Society is a private charitable organization based in New York City. It serves 150,000 children per year, providing foster care, medical and mental health services, and a wide range of educational, recreational and advocacy services through dozens of community centers,...
, in which she was one of the first women inspectors, she travelled across Pennsylvania, reforming almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s.
By the 1890s she was a prominent member of the Anti-Imperialist League. In 1899 she was selected to be one of the original members of the board of trustees of Simmons College
Simmons College
Simmons College may refer to:*Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically black college in Louisville, Kentucky*Simmons College , a liberal arts college in Boston, Massachusetts...