In honor of Women’s History Month, Motif interns Victoria Kaufman and Kathryn Libertini dove into Ocean State history to find some of its most notable ladies: we were heartily impressed with their feats of bravery, politics, culture, and mountaineering!
Sissieretta Jones
American soprano Sissieretta Jones created a musical legacy with her voice and comedy talent in the 19th century that continues today. Jones began singing in the Pond Street Baptist Church, now Second Freewill Baptist Church, where her father was a minister in 1874. She went on to study music at the Providence Academy of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music. When she was 20, her music reached an audience of thousands with her New York City debut. By age 24, Jones was the first African-American to sing at Carnegie Hall and had performed for President Benjamin Harrison and the Royal British Family. She was the highest-paid African-American performer of her time, ultimately forming the Black Patti Musical Comedy Company, which toured the country for two decades. She returned to Providence before her death in 1933 and was inducted, 80 years later, into the RI Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
Idawalley “Ida” Lewis
Idawalley “Ida” Lewis was a lighthouse keeper and hero to Newport, earning her the nickname “Bravest Woman in America.” Her heroism began at just 12 years old, when, from her home at Lime Rock Light, Lewis accomplished a speculated 25 life-saving rescues in the waters that surrounded Lime Rock. She saved and protected the lives of sailors and soldiers nearly lost at sea, sometimes bearing freezing temperatures and dangerous ocean conditions. She garnered local and national attention as she continued her rescues, and in response to criticism for being “unfeminine” for these triumphs, Lewis responded: “None – but a donkey, would consider it ‘unfeminine’ to save lives.”
Upon the death of her mother, Lewis was made sole lighthouse keeper of Lime Rock; she received a salary of $750/year, making her the highest-paid lighthouse keeper in the US. Lewis dedicated her life to Lime Rock, and it has since been renamed the Ida Lewis Rock Lighthouse. Lewis’ heroic actions at Lime Rock attracted 1,400 people to her funeral in 1911, and the US Coast Guard Ship USCGC Ida Lewis, named in her honor, is stationed in Middletown.
Anne Hutchinson
One of Rhode Island’s founding mothers, Anne Hutchinson was born in July 1591 in Alford Lincolnshire, England. After moving to Boston with her 11 children, she quickly became well known for her contrarian religious beliefs. Hutchinson organized her own gatherings in which she shared her opinions critiquing local ministers and their latest sermons. While her message caused her to be popular among many, she was also despised by some because her beliefs went against the dominant Puritan clergy. Hutchinson claimed that many popular ministers were “preaching a covenant of works rather than a covenant of grace.” She was ultimately tried and convicted of heresy in 1637, which led to her and her supporters’ exile from the Boston area. With the help of Providence founder Roger Williams, Hutchinson went on to establish the settlement of Portsmouth. Embodying the Rhode Island spirit of rebellion, Hutchinson’s leadership and commitment to her beliefs helped lead to the creation of Rhode Island.
Princess Red Wing of the Seven Crescents
Princess Red Wing of the Seven Crescents was a 20th-century writer, historian, and activist for the Indigenous people of New England. She once stated, “My life’s work has been to keep up the heritage of my people, teaching it to all races and nationalities, and especially to youth.” She co-founded the Narragansett Dawn tribal newspaper and founded and curated the Tomaquag Museum, now in Exeter, in an effort to bring awareness to the history and culture of Indigenous people. In 1946 she addressed the United Nations and from 1947 until 1970, served the UN as a member of the Speaker’s Research Committee of the under-secretariat.
Her lectures and published writings at universities in North America continue to support the education and knowledge of Native American heritage, particularly of the tribes of New England. In 1933, when asked to read a script at Mt. Rushmore, she refused, stating “It spoke of the ‘dirty painted savages of New England.’ I sent it back and told them that they did not know their history of New England natives…” Her lasting impact on the advocacy and awareness of New England’s Indigenous history led to her winning the Rhode Island Writers Guild Certificate of Achievement, as well as her induction into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame.
Christiana Carteaux Bannister
Known professionally as Madame Carteaux, Christiana Carteaux Bannister defied societal norms by making her mark as a successful business entrepreneur and abolitionist. Bannister started her own hairdressing company and financially supported her husband, Edward Mitchell Bannister, with the income from her salons. Edward became a ground-breaking, award-winning Black landscape painter, after whom RIC’s Bannister Gallery is named.
In addition to her wig making and hair styling, Bannister joined the abolitionist movement, working with activist Lewis Hayden on Boston’s section of the Underground Railroad. Bannister contributed greatly by allowing her hair salons to serve as meeting places for African-American and white abolitionists. During the Civil War, Bannister fought tirelessly for equal pay for Black soldiers, in addition to raising funds to compensate the 54th Massachusetts Regiment of Black soldiers. Finally, she founded the Home for Aged Colored Women in Providence after noticing the growing number of African American women who became homeless after they worked as domestic employees and were now too old to work. The home was renamed to Bannister House and was moved from Transit St. to Dodge St. Today, Bannister’s legacy as a dedicated advocate and woman in power is still felt today at the home in Providence.
Alva Vanderbilt Belmont
Alva Vanderbilt Belmont was a socialite, suffragist, and major contributor to the women’s movement in New York City. Born Alva Smith, she first married William Kissam Vanderbilt, and after his passing married Oliver Belmont, both prominent millionaires.
It was during her second marriage that Alva commissioned her summerhouse, the Belmont Mansion, in Newport. At the death of her second husband, Belmont apportioned the funds she amassed from her two marriages to support the National American Women’s Suffrage Association and its National Press Bureau. She then formed the Political Equity League and led its division of New York City’s 1912 Women’s Votes Parades, which were some of the largest protests ever held in the US and are considered to be a turning point in the women’s suffrage movement.
In the following years, Belmont was elected president of the National Women’s Party and established its headquarters in Washington DC. There, the party was able to lobby for new initiatives, and Belmont maintained her role until her death in 1933. In 2016, Belmont’s efforts were honored and the National Women’s Party building in DC was recognized as the Belmont–Paul Women’s Equality National Monument.
Annie Smith Peck
Annie Smith Peck was an explorer, mountaineer, suffragist and educator. Born in PVD in 1850, she attended Classical High School and Rhode Island Normal School, now Rhode Island College. After her rejection from Brown University, which did not accept women at the time, Peck continued her education at the University of Michigan, which had opened its doors to women just a few years prior.
At 31 she graduated with a master’s degree in Greek, then moved to Greece to study archaeology. From there, Peck explored Europe and first caught glimpse of the Matterhorn mountain in Switzerland. That moment turned her attention from studying rocks to conquering them.
Ten years and many climbs later, Peck achieved her goal of summiting the Matterhorn and became the second woman to execute the feat. Her accomplishment was met with trivializing controversy, with the press noting that “she provoked moral outrage with her daring and eccentric climbing outfit,” i.e, pants instead of a dress. Peck was not discouraged, and her passion for mountaineering thrived: She made history with her 1908 ascent of Huscarán, a colossal mountain in Peru, where she set a record for reaching the highest climbed altitude of the Western Hemisphere.
Three years later, at age 61, she scaled the Coropuna, a volcano in Peru, and placed a “Votes for Women” banner at its peak. Peck climbed across Europe, North America, and South America for 20 more years, and became a public lecturer and author to fund her expeditions. Ending her career at age 81, she recalled her life’s work stating: “The only real pleasure is the satisfaction of going where no man has been before and where few can follow.”
Peck, along with three other mountaineering women, became founding members of the American Alpine Club and ensured its acceptance of female members. The club continues to advocate for American climbing, and supports conservationist movements alongside the US Forest Service and National Park Service. Peck’s fearless spirit can be remembered today through her four published books and personal papers. Peck is buried at the North Burial Ground Cemetery, in PVD.
