READ: Harriet Forten Purvis (Graphic Biography)

Harriet Forten Purvis was an African-American woman who fought against slavery while pioneering the struggle for women’s suffrage.

The Graphic Biography below uses “Three Close Reads”. If you want to learn more about this strategy, click here.

First read: skimming for gist

This will be your quickest read. It should help you get the general idea of what the graphic biography will be about. Pay attention to the title, headings, images, and layout. Ask yourself: what is this graphic biography going to be about?

Second read: understanding content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. You should also spend some time looking at the images and the way in which the page is designed.

By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

What was Harriet Forten Purvis’ family and community like as a child?
What was the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery society, and what happened when they organized a national conference in 1838?
How else did Purvis and her husband fight against slavery and discrimination?
What other reform movement did Purvis work for, and what were the results of their struggle?
The first letter of Purvis’ name in the title is formed by two women, one African-American, one white, holding hands. These same women are shown in the last panel, but separated. What is the artist trying to tell us?

Third read: evaluating and corroborating

In this read, you should use the graphic biography as evidence to support, extend, or challenge claims made in the course.

At the end of the third read, you should be able to respond to these questions:

How does this biography of Harriet Forten Purvis support, extend, or challenge what you have learned about social transformations and their limits during the long nineteenth century?

Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to read! Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished reading.

Harriet Forten Purvis (Graphic Biography)

Writer: Lindsay Ehrisman

Artist: Liz Clarke

Harriet Forten Purvis was an African-American woman who fought against slavery while pioneering the struggle for women’s suffrage.

Download the Graphic Biography PDF here or click on the image above.

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WarmSausageTea‭ ⛮
Posted a year ago. Direct link to WarmSausageTea‭ ⛮'s post “Isn’t that Harriet Tubman...”
Isn’t that Harriet Tubman?
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(2 votes)
Answer
- french fries🍟
  Posted 6 months ago. Direct link to french fries🍟's post “No, it is not the same pe...”
  No, it is not the same person but, they both impacted people around them.
  Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in 1822.She escaped in 1849. She also went back to help free other slaves.
  Harriet Purvis on the other hand was not born into slavery but, to a "thriving middle class family"(the graphic novel). She had a stop for the underground railroad.
  Comment on french fries🍟's post “No, it is not the same pe...”
  (1 vote)