Amanda Smith
Amanda Smith was an influential American evangelist and missionary, born into slavery in Maryland. Her father, Samuel Berry Smith, worked diligently to secure the freedom of his family, allowing them to move to Pennsylvania, where Amanda spent her childhood. After marrying Calvin M. Devine and becoming a widow due to his service in the Civil War, she remarried James Smith, a deacon, and converted to Christianity, deepening her faith during a period of profound personal loss. Following the deaths of her husband and four children in 1869, Smith began preaching in African American churches and broader audiences, committing herself to Christian evangelism.
Smith traveled extensively as a missionary, reaching England, India, and West Africa alongside her surviving daughter. In 1893, she published her autobiography, which garnered widespread acclaim and financial support that she used to establish an orphanage for African American children in Illinois. After retiring to Florida in 1912, she passed away in 1915 at the age of seventy-eight. Smith's legacy includes the orphanage that was later named the Amanda Smith Industrial School for Girls, although it suffered destruction just three years after her death. Her life and work reflect significant contributions to both religious and social causes in the context of American history.
Amanda Smith
Evangelist
- Born: January 23, 1837
- Birthplace: Long Green, Maryland
- Died: March 6, 1915
- Place of death: Sebring, Florida
Biography
Amanda Smith, an American evangelist and missionary, was born a slave in Maryland. Smith was the daughter of Samuel Berry Smith. By working nights and holidays, Samuel Smith earned enough money to buy his freedom and the freedom of his family. After securing their freedom, Amanda Smith and her family moved to Pennsylvania, where she remained for the rest of her childhood.
Smith worked as a washerwoman in order to help support her family until 1854, when she married Calvin M. Devine. Together they had two children before Devine died as a Union soldier in the Civil War. In 1863, Smith married James Smith, a deacon in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. At this time, Amanda Smith converted to Christianity.
After their marriage, Amanda and James Smith moved to New York City and had three children. Her faith grew and served as a comfort when in 1869 her husband and four of her children died. In her grief, she began preaching regularly in African American churches as well as before numerous white audiences. In 1870, Smith committed her life to Christian evangelism and spent the next decade traveling as a missionary with her only surviving daughter. They served as missionaries in England, India, and West Africa.
In the early 1890’s, Smith returned to the United States and settled in Chicago, Illinois. There, in 1893, she published her autobiography, titled An Autobiography: the Story of the Lord’s Dealings with Mrs. Smith, the Colored Evangelist. This work was well received and sold widely throughout the nation. Smith used the proceeds from the sale of her book to open a home for African American orphans in Harvey, Illinois. She continued preaching and lecturing in order to support the home.
In 1912, Smith retired to Florida. The orphanage was taken over by the state of Illinois and named the Amanda Smith Industrial School for Girls. In 1915, at the age of seventy- eight, Amanda Smith died in Florida. Sadly, only three years after her death, the Amanda Smith Industrial School for Girls was destroyed by fire.