Polish Immigrants and American Reform: Eight Leaders in the Antebellum Women’s Rights and Anti-Slavery Movements

Between the American Revolution and the Civil War, two of the most persistent themes in American history were immigration and the growth of reform movements, among them women’s rights and the antislavery crusade. The front ranks of these movements were swollen with recent arrivals.

Eight individuals of Polish ancestry made noteworthy contributions to the betterment of women’s status in the U.S. and to the eradication of human bondage. This collection of biographical articles provides their personal background information, explanation of their contributions, commentary by their contemporaries and historical interpretation of their significance.

James S. Pula is a professor emeritus of history at Purdue University Northwest. The author of numerous books, his work has been honored with the Mieczyslaw Haiman Award for sustained scholarly contributions to Polish American history and culture, the Distinguished Service Award from the American Council for Polish Culture, three Oskar Halecki Prizes for various books, and the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, among others.