The Rabbi's Atheist Daughter

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Known as "the queen of the platform," Ernestine Rose was more renowned than her contemporaries, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. By the 1850s, she had emerged as a powerful orator for feminism, free thought, and anti-slavery. However, her legacy faded due to her status as an immigrant, radical, and atheist. This work recovers the unique life of Rose, the only child of a Polish rabbi who rejected religion early on. After successfully suing for her dowry to escape an arranged marriage, she left her family, Judaism, and Poland. In London, she became a follower of socialist Robert Owen and met her future husband, William Rose. They emigrated to New York in 1836, where she became a leader against slavery, religion, and women's oppression, speaking in twenty-three of the thirty-one states. Rose challenged the radical Christianity that motivated many women reformers of her time. Despite rejecting Judaism, she faced both antisemitism and nativism. In 1869, after the Civil War, she returned to England, continuing her advocacy for radical causes. By the time women gained the vote, her significant contributions had been overlooked. This account restores Ernestine Rose to her rightful place in history and highlights her international activism.