John M Duffey

Eliza Bisbee Duffey was a prominent American figure of the late 19th century, known for her work as a painter, author, poet, editor, and spiritualist. Born in Ohio, she began her career in printing and editing before moving to Philadelphia, where she exhibited her paintings and became an Associate Member of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Later, she and her husband relocated to Vineland, New Jersey, where they became editors and publishers of The Vineland Daily Times.

Duffey was a fervent feminist who dedicated much of her writing to advancing women's rights and equality. She notably engaged in a public debate with Edward Hammond Clarke regarding female education, challenging his views in her book "No Sex in Education." Her work also delved into the complexities of male-female relationships, addressing issues such as marital rape and spousal abuse, advocating for divorce on grounds of brutality. Beyond her social activism, Duffey also explored spiritualism later in her life, producing a work through automatic writing.

Eliza Bisbee Duffey was a vocal proponent of gender equality during the Victorian era. She actively challenged prevailing societal norms through her writings, engaging in significant debates about women's education and rights. Her response to Edward Hammond Clarke's "Sex in Education" was her book "No Sex in Education," which championed co-education and equal learning environments for both genders. Duffey's exploration of gender dynamics extended to intimate relationships, where she boldly discussed topics such as marital rape, arguing it should be recognized as a crime. She also advocated for women's rights within marriage, suggesting that spousal abuse should be sufficient grounds for divorce. Her writings reflected a progressive stance, asserting a woman's autonomy over her own body within marriage, stating a woman was "no more bound to yield her body to her husband after the marriage between them, than she was before, until she feels that she can do so with the full tide of willingness and affection."

Beyond her feminist treatises, Eliza Bisbee Duffey also authored "The Ladies' and Gentlemen's Etiquette" in 1877. This work provided guidance on social conduct across thirty-five distinct scenarios. While seemingly a conventional etiquette guide, its introduction carried a strong message, affirming Duffey's belief in the elevated status women should hold in society. Her literary output also demonstrated an engagement with contemporary scientific and social ideas, as seen in "The Relations of the Sexes," where she critiqued outdated notions of human gestation, such as the concept of quickening, in light of evolving scientific understanding.

In addition to her prolific writing career, Eliza Bisbee Duffey was also a recognized painter, specializing in still life compositions. Her artistic endeavors provided another avenue for her creative expression. Later in her life, Duffey developed an interest in spiritualism. Despite her own self-professed limited knowledge of the subject, she produced the book "Heaven Revised" in 1889, which she created through the practice of automatic writing, a method associated with spiritualist communication.

“no more bound to yield her body to her husband after the marriage between them, than she was before, until she feels that she can do so with the full tide of willingness and affection.”