Abby Hadassah Smith

Abby Hadassah Smith and her sister, Julia Evelina Smith, were American suffragists who protested for their property and voting rights. Living on their family farm, they became involved in the woman suffrage movement in 1869. In 1873, Abby protested the taxation of women without the right to vote. The sisters subsequently refused to pay taxes unless granted suffrage. This led to the seizure and sale of their cows and pastureland for delinquent taxes, drawing national and international attention. Abby's speeches and the sisters' letters gained them prominence, and Julia published an account of their struggle in 1877. Both sisters were active in suffrage meetings and testified before legislative committees.1