Elizabeth Oakes Prince Smith

(1806–1893) Elizabeth was a poet, fiction writer and women's rights activist.

Born in Maine, Elizabeth had dreams of attending college and starting a school. Under pressure from her mother, she married young. Her husband was a publisher who supported her writing career. In 1850, Elizabeth attended the National Women's Rights Convention in Worcester. This motivated her to leave fiction writing for essays on women's need for economic opportunity, higher education and voting. Her work was published in Horace Greeley's New York Tribune.

Elizabeth was a candidate for president of the National Women's Rights Association at their 1852 convention in Syracuse. Her selection was opposed when she appeared in a dress showing her neck and bare arms. Elizabeth continued to attend conventions, write and lecture in the following years. Interest in her work waned after her death but saw a resurgence in the 1970s as advocacy for women's rights welcomed new generations.