In 1906, the Harriet Tubman Union held a reception, in Boston, for Mrs. Annie W. Dillet, President of the Bahama Islands Women’s Christian Temperance Union.
The great historical question now becomes —given the close ties Harriet Tubman had with Boston and the Women’s Christian Temperance cause, —-did Bahamian Annie W. Dillet, also meet the great abolitionist, Harriet Tubman, in Boston, in October 1906.
1890 – Bahamian Women Included Their Voices With Others Around The World By Joining Worldwide Women’s Christian Temperance Union (W.T.C.U)
Collectivising the voices and strengths of women, as a force for social change, is not a modern day phenomenon. In 1890, Bahamian women joined the voices and strengths of others around the world from the United States to Angola to Tasmania to the Hawaiian Islands to India.
One woman in particular, Annie W. Dillet, would spearhead the cause, for coloured women.
“There is a heart-language that they are learning in every nation, and nothing can stand before the sisterhood of woman that is now growing up around the world”
Frances Willard, President of the World W.C.T.U 1891
Mrs. Annie W. Dillet, in the late 1800s, managed to make a name for herself in Nassau. She accomplished this, in a time in history when women in general, and coloured women in particular, were all but invisible beings in society.
Annie W. Dillet carved out a place and an important purpose for herself in Bahamian history. She had a voice, which seemingly began, in earnest in the year 1880.
April 1884 – Mrs. Annie W. Dillet named to Political Action Committee of the Grand Lodge
Annie was a Christian woman. She played a role in organising Christian events for the Junior Temple of the local Grand Lodge. She organised international lecturers, on Christian and Temperance topics, to come to The Bahamas.
In 1884, Annie W. Dillet was named to the political committee of the I. O. G. T. Grand Lodge.
Annie becomes Vice President of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in 1894
What brought Annie W. Dillet to international mention, was that she was importantly first a vice president and then president of the local Bahamas chapter of the Worldwide Women’s Christian Temperance Union.
In March 1894, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union spearheaded a worldwide Temperance Demonstration.
Temperance Societies of Nassau marched to Rawson Square.
One month later, in April 1894, Mrs. Annie W. Dillet, who was then an instrumental figure in the Excelsior Lodge, and who gave the address on behalf of the Lodge on the day of the mass temperance demonstration, was named Vice President of the Bahama Islands chapter of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.
Soon after, Annie was named president, travelling to America for the worldwide meeting of the W.C.T.U. in December 1894.
Alcohol took a tremendous negative toll on negro families and communities
In Nassau, there were one or two church and Lodge led temperance societies, in the late 1800s. Among the most powerful and determined voices in the New Providence negro community, staunchly advocating temperance, was Stephen Albert Dillet.
Alcohol use took a tremendous toll on black families, in poor negro communities, in the decades after emancipation both in America and the West Indies.
A determined Black Prohibition Movement, of which Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and other negro luminaries of the time were a part of, went far and beyond advocating the abstinence from strong drink in negro communities. Temperance was a call for discipline.
For blacks advocating temperance, it was also a fight to maintain negro families, as a cohesive functioning unit, coming out of the ravages of slavery while still facing racism. Temperance was also a crime reduction advocacy. Crime in negro neighbourhoods, in many cases, involved alcohol in some way, shape or form. There was also a bitterly fought socioeconomic battle for negroes as liquor producers flooded black communities with cheap alcohol.
Liquor, in the late 1800s, played a tremendous part of global capitalist trade and investment. It coincided with the opium trade. Impoverished negro communities were the hardest hit by the liquor trade which resulted in the loss of family income. This had a domino effect leading to the family breakdown and other social ills.
Poverty, violence and crime was only exacerbated by alcoholism. The more economically depressed black neighbourhoods became, the more liquor stores seemingly opened.
This early strategy of entrapping poor black areas with addictive drugs, thus creating a reliable revenue stream, would be a precursor to the opium, heroin, marijuana and crack cocaine which would come to flood black neighbourhoods from the 1910s to the 1990s.
Who was Annie W. Dillet?
1880 – Annie W. Dillet was part of the Juvenile Temple of No.2 I.O.G.T. ( International Organisation of Good Templars)
1894 – Annie W. Dillet writes a public appeal for anyone interested in travelling on the German steamship “Kaiser Wilhelm” on a nine month trip around the world to spread the Temperance and Anti-Opium message
As part of the worldwide Polyglot Petition for Home Protection against the manufacturing and international trade in liquor and drugs, Annie W. Dillet published an appeal for local participants in the Bahama Islands.
Annie W. Dillet travelled in December 1894 to the worldwide conference of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union
January 1904 – Annie W. Dillet organises a week long conference by a Temperance representative from Boston
1906
October 1906 had to have been an incredible moment in time for Annie W. Dillet.
While there is no direct record of a meeting discovered as yet, it is highly likely, very likely that Annie W. Dillet met abolitionist Harriet Tubman, in Boston or nearby, as well as meeting other notable colored women, who were the progressive luminaries of that incredible era.
Did Annie W. Dillet meet Harriet Tubman, the fugitive slave who led others to freedom on the Underground Railroad, in Boston, in 1906?
In 1906, the Harriet Tubman Union held a special reception, in Boston, for Mrs. Annie W. Dillet, President of the Bahamas Islands Women’s Christian Temperance Union.
While other notaries of the W.C.T.U held receptions for key persons travelling into Boston from abroad, Boston newspapers particularly highlighted that Annie W. Dillet would be received by the Tubman Union.
The reason for this, we can well surmise. Annie was a coloured woman. She may well have been the only overseas coloured woman to attend the W.C.T.U conference in 1906.
As well as representing the W.C.T.U, Annie W. Dillet was also the representative for the National Union of Native (Coloured) Women.
The reception for Annie was held at the famous Charles Street (then AME) Church, in Boston, in 1906.
As well as representing the W.C.T.U, Annie W. Dillet was also the representative for the National Union of Native (Coloured) Women.
According to historians, in 1896, abolitionist Harriet Tubman was the main speaker of the first national meeting of the National Association of Colored Women. The meeting was held in Boston.
Annie W. Dillet was also President of the National Union of Native (Coloured) Women.
For all we know, Annie W. Dillet may have travelled to Boston in 1896 as part of the National Union of Coloured Women. We know that Annie travelled to Boston in 1894 for the W.C.T.U.
To give some idea of the incredible importance and impact the National Association of Colored Women, the convention of 1895 was held at the Charles Street AME Church in Boston, where in 1906, Annie W. Dillet would be received and feted into a sisterhood of progressive black women .
In 1895, Mrs. Booker T. Washington and Mrs. Frederick Douglass were in attendance.
If Annie W. Dillet attended the National Association of Colored Women in 1896, in Boston—- in her role as President of the National Union of Native (Coloured) Women, —-it may well explain why a grand reception was held for her, by the newly founded Harriet Tubman Union, in 1906.
In 1905, Harriet Tubman was in Boston to speak at the Harriet Tubman Christian Temperance Union meeting at Parker Hall. This may have been part of the W.C.T.U conference, but a segregated meeting for colored women.
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/htubman-boston-1905.htm
The Harriet Tubman Union is founded in 1906, in Boston, by a group of progressive African American women
It was noted in the New York newspapers that Annie W. Dillet of Nassau was President of the National Union of Native Women (coloured).
1908
Annie was still very active promoting Christian Temperance. The W.C.T.U of Nassau was celebrating its 18th anniversary, having first taking its charter in 1890.
1913
By 1913, Annie W. Dillet was unable to travel to the worldwide W.C.T.U’s ninth convention that was held in Brooklyn, New York.
Annie wrote that, she had been afflicted by serious illness and the temperance cause, in Nassau, being financially crippled by a lack of funds meant that she could not attend, or had much progress to report.
