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Harriet Forten Purvis

1810–1875

United States

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Biography

Harriet Forten Purvis (c. 1810 – June 11, 1875) was an African-American abolitionist and first generation suffragist. With her mother and sisters, she formed the first biracial women's abolitionist group, the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society. She hosted anti-slavery events at her home and with her husband Robert Purvis ran an Underground Railroad station. Robert and Harriet also founded the Gilbert Lyceum. She fought against segregation and for the right for black people to vote after the Civil War.

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-20

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