Breaking Ranks

This chapter describes John Jay II, a young abolitionist who described the seating of a woman on the business committee of the American Anti-Slavery Society with a mixture of biblical patriarchalism and secular misogyny. The chapter looks at John Jay II's response to the public rift over women's place within abolitionism, reflecting revealing aspects of gender relationships within the family. William Jay's opposition to connecting abolitionism to feminism was rooted in a conception of family life that left little room for recognizing the denial of women's rights. The chapter explores how the family life for the Jays of Bedford blended patriarchal assumptions, the ease of significant inherited material wealth, a commitment to Christian piety, and abundant domestic affection. It highlights the role the female Jays of Bedford played in sustaining the Jay family's collective commitment to abolitionism and other social reforms.