Mary Elizabeth Bibb
Significance:
Mary Elizabeth Miles Bibb Cary was the first African-American
woman to graduate from the Normal School. She was a leader
in education, journalism, and the abolitionist movement. Mary
published “The Voice of the Fugitive” with her husband after
they moved to Canada following passage of the Fugitive Slave
Act of 1850. Mary championed the value of education and
represents the spirit of lifelong learning and activism.
Birth:
Death:
born in Rhode Island in 1820.
died in 1877
Obituary:
Marriage:
Henry Bibb, an escaped slave, They married in June 1848. When Henry died, Mary later married Isaac N. Cary.
Children:
Places Lived:
Lexington, Massachusetts; Rhode Island; New York
Connection to Lexington:
Education, Attended Normal School.
Wikipedia:
Book Titles:
Education:
Employment:
Educator
Quotation:
Link to page in Notable American Women:
Inclusion in the Lexington
Historical Society Exhibit?
Additional Info:
In 2005, Mary and Henry Bibb were declared Persons of National Historic Significance by the Government of Canada. She is considered by some to be the first female black journalist in Canada.
Preliminary Sketch
- Meredith Bergmann
