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Frances Harper

Frances Harper (24 September,1825-22 February, 1911) born to free parents in Baltimore, Maryland, was an African-American abolitionist and poet.

Her first volume of verse, Forest Leaves, was published in 1845, and went through 20 volumes. In 1850, she started working in Columbus, Ohio as a schoolteacher. Three years later in 1853, she joined the American Anti-Slavery Society and became a travelling lecturer for the group.

In 1892, she published a novel about a rescued black slave and the Reconstructed South, called Iola Leroy, which was the first book published by an African-American. Later, she also wrote Minnie's Sacrifice, Sowing and Reaping and Trial and Triumph.

In addition, Harper was a member of the American Woman Suffrage Association.