Rose, Ernestine L. (Ernestine Louise), 1810-1892

Ernestine Rose was born Jan. 13, 1810 in Piotrków Trybunalski, Congress Poland. Her father was a wealthy rabbi although Rose remained a staunch atheist throughout her life. She left Poland at the age of 17 and eventually relocated to England. There she met Utopian Socialist, Robert Owen, a socialist, and the two were good friends. She married William Ella Rose, another socialist and the two emigrated to the United States in 1836 and settled in NYC. Rose became a speaker for abolition of slavery, religious tolerance, public education, and equality for women. She joined with other influential women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, Paulina Kellogg Wright Davis, and Sojourner Truth to fight for women's rights and abolition. Rose was elected president of the National Women's Rights Convention in October 1854. She died Aug. 4, 1892 in Brighton, England.