mnsss240 Abby Morton Diaz Papers, 1879-1900 Finding Aid Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College
Northampton, MA
© 2005

Smith College. All rights reserved.

 Finding aid exported into EAD from InMagic DB/Textworks 7.01. Encoded by Margaret Jessup and Jennifer Smar. 2006-04-07 Finding aid written in English. Sophia Smith CollectionSmith College Abby Morton Diaz Papers, 1879-1900 Finding Aid MS 48 2005 Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

© 2005 Smith College. All rights reserved.

 Collection Overview Diaz, Abby Morton, 1821-1904 Abby Morton Diaz Papers1879-1900 MS 48 1 box (.25 linear ft.) English Sophia Smith Collection
Smith College Northampton, MA
Author; Suffragist; Social reformer. Papers include biographical articles; articles and pamphlets written by Diaz; photographs; suffrage leaflets; reports of the Women's Educational and Industrial Union; miscellaneous pamphlets; and a book that includes a speech by Diaz. Biographical Note

Abby Morton Diaz (1821-1904) was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Her father, Ichabod Morton, was a social reformer involved in anti-slavery, temperance, and (with Horace Mann) education movements. Abby was secretary for the Juvenile Anti-Slavery Society as a girl. Her family moved to the Brook Farm Community in 1842, where Abby stayed to teach until 1847. She married Manuel Diaz, a Cuban, in 1845. They later separated. Abby taught singing and opened a dancing school in Plymouth. She published her first story in Atlantic Monthly in 1861 and thereafter published juvenile stories and articles on "domestic culture," social reform for women, religious freedom, transcendentalism, and in later years, Christian Science. A children's book, The William Henry Letters, was published in 1870. Abby was one of the original board members of the Women's Education and Industrial Union of Boston (1877) and was president, 1881-92, and vice president, 1892-1902. After 1902, she was the honorary president. She traveled and lectured throughout the U.S., and eventually became active in the suffrage movement.

 Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Abby Morton Diaz Papers include biographical articles; articles and pamphlets written by Diaz; photographs; suffrage leaflets; reports of the Women's Educational and Industrial Union; miscellaneous pamphlets; and a book that includes a speech by Diaz.

NOTE: The container list for this collection is available in the Sophia Smith Collection. Please contact us to request a copy.

 Information on Use Terms of Access and Use

The papers are open to research according to the regulations of the Sophia Smith Collection.

This collection has not been fully processed and therefore may be difficult to use.

Copyright to unpublished materials may be owned by the creator, or their heirs or assigns. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights. Permission to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use" must also be obtained from the Sophia Smith Collection as owners of the physical property.

 Preferred Citation

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

Abby Morton Diaz Papers, Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College, Northampton, Mass.

 Search Terms Anti-slavery movements--United States-History--Sources Abolitionists--United States--Biography--Sources Women--Suffrage--United States--History--Sources Diaz, Abby Morton, 1821-1904 Women's Educational and Industrial Union (Boston, Mass.) Social reformers--Massachusetts--Biography--Sources Authors, American--19th century--Biography--Sources