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Anna E. Dickinson (1842–1932)
Autograph Sentiment Signed, dated 1872
Offered here is an original 19th-century autograph sentiment signed by Anna E. Dickinson, one of the most prominent American political orators of the Civil War and Reconstruction eras. Dickinson was among the first women in U.S. history to earn national fame and a living as a public political speaker, renowned for her electrifying speeches on abolition, the Union cause, and women’s rights.
This piece dates to 1872, during the height of Dickinson’s public career, when she was actively touring and lecturing nationwide. The sentiment is handwritten in pencil and signed in full “Anna E. Dickinson,” accompanied by her distinctive closing “Truly True.”
📜 Transcription (verbatim)
“The world belongs to those who take it.”
Truly True,
Anna E. Dickinson
Feb 22, 1872
👤 About Anna E. Dickinson
Anna Dickinson was a nationally celebrated speaker during the American Civil War, often compared in rhetorical power to Frederick Douglass. She campaigned vigorously for Abraham Lincoln and the Union, addressed state legislatures and packed public halls, and helped redefine the role of women in American political life. By the early 1870s, she was among the highest-paid lecturers in the country, a remarkable achievement for a woman of her era.
Though her fame later faded and her life ended quietly, Dickinson remains an important and increasingly recognized figure in 19th-century American history, abolitionism, and women’s political activism.
🖋️ Item Details
Type: Autograph Sentiment Signed (ASS)
Author: Anna E. Dickinson
Date: 1872
Medium: Pencil on card/paper
Condition: Period-appropriate wear; writing remains legible and well-preserved
Authenticity: Guaranteed original; no reproduction or facsimile
📈 Collector Notes
Genuine Anna E. Dickinson autograph material is scarce, particularly dated examples from her peak lecturing years.
The aphoristic content is consistent with Dickinson’s rhetoric and worldview, emphasizing agency, moral conviction, and self-determination.
Ideal for collectors of:
Civil War–era history
Women’s rights and early feminism
Abolitionist and political autographs
19th-century American manuscript material
