Women of Distinction, Chapter 7: Ida B. Wells

What it is

This is a chapter from a book called Women of Distinction, published in 1893, which profiles notable Black women of the era. Chapter VII is devoted to Ida B. Wells, describing her as holding an honorable position among women of her time. The text survives today on Wikisource.

Why it matters

Because it was written while Wells was still alive and actively working, this chapter is a rare contemporary profile, not a later retrospective. It places her within a broader argument about the role women, especially Black women, played in struggles such as the fight against slavery, alongside figures like Harriet Beecher Stowe and Sojourner Truth mentioned in its opening pages.

Why it matters

Look closer

• Why might the author compare Wells to earlier abolitionist women?
• What does the language used about women's roles tell you about ideas common in 1893?
• What might be missing from a chapter written by someone other than Wells herself?