The dedication of the Elizabeth Buffum Chace statue comes as the result of an extensive search conducted by the Rhode Island Commission to Memorialize the Contributions of All Rhode Island Women, which was established in May 2001 to address the notable lack of female figures in the State House statuary.  After reviewing thousands of nominations, the Commission selected Chace for her many contributions to Rhode Island, and I wish to recognize some of her notable achievements.

Born in 1806 in Smithfield, Elizabeth Buffum was raised as a Quaker.  Her life was strongly molded by the values of independence and simplicity instilled in her by her family.  Her passion for justice first became evident in the 1830s when she campaigned against slavery.  Founder of the Fall River Anti-Slavery Society, she mounted a door-to-door campaign to further the abolitionist cause, and she and her husband, Samuel Chace, often hid fugitive slaves in their home.  So passionate was Chace about abolitionism that she ultimately severed ties with her beloved Quaker roots because the religion would not strengthen its position against slavery.

Upon returning to Rhode Island, Chace continued her anti-slavery efforts and also spoke out in favor of women’s suffrage and temperance – two of her greatest passions.  As one of the founders of the Rhode Island Women’s Suffrage Association, she objected to the political and social subjugation of women and advocated the admission of women to Brown University.  Additionally, she tackled the unpopular issues of homelessness and prison reform, simultaneously making enemies and progress.  Throughout these campaigns, she never neglected her family and was a caring and dedicated mother to her ten children.  She maintained her strong sprit until her death in 1899 at the age of 93, having written an article just one year earlier for The Women’s Journal, a suffrage newspaper.

Chace is certainly an apt choice as the first Rhode Island woman honored by a State House statue, though I am confident that today merely marks the beginning of a greater trend in recognizing remarkable women in the halls of the Rhode Island Capitol.   I wish to thank my good friend, Secretary of State Edward Inman, for his vision and leadership in trumpeting the accomplishments of women in our great state, and I look forward to working with him on other important initiatives to enhance the civic pride of all Rhode Islanders.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.