Three hundred and sixty acres of northern Michigan wilderness became the unlikely childhood home of Anna Howard Shaw, a woman who would eventually pivot from frontier survival to become a foundational figure in the United States suffrage movement and a licensed physician.
Early Hardships and Education
Born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1847, Shaw emigrated to Massachusetts at age four. By twelve, her family relocated to a desolate cabin in the Michigan wilderness, where she performed labor typically reserved for men, including tree felling and well digging. After serving as a school teacher during the Civil War to support her struggling family, she sought formal education at Albion College and later enrolled at the Boston University School of Theology in 1876.
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Despite persistent societal disapproval and systemic financial barriers at Boston University, Shaw pursued her vocation as a preacher. After the Methodist Episcopal Church denied her ordination, she successfully secured it through the Methodist Protestant Church. Her conviction to preach was solidified by the counsel of peers and the influence of Universalist minister Marianna Thompson, steering her toward both religious leadership and the medical field.
Medical Practice and Suffrage Advocacy
Shaw earned an MD from Boston University in 1886. Her career trajectory bridged medicine and political activism, notably as the chair of the Franchise Department for the Women's Christian Temperance Union. She became a pivotal force in the women's suffrage movement after joining Susan B. Anthony in 1887, eventually facilitating the merger of two major suffrage associations.
Fast facts
- Born: 1847, Newcastle upon Tyne
- Died: 1919, Nether Providence Township
- Education: Albion College, Boston University School of Theology, Boston University School of Medicine
- Notable Membership: International Council of Women
- Awards: Michigan Women's Hall of Fame (1983); National Women's Hall of Fame (2000)
Questions readers ask
Was she a practicing physician?
Yes, she obtained her medical degree from Boston University in 1886.
Which churches did she serve?
She was ordained in the Methodist Protestant Church after being denied ordination by the Methodist Episcopal Church.
