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Ellen Collins

Ellen Collins (February 15, 1828- July 8, 1912) was born in New York, NY to parents Sarah (Mintern) and Joseph B. Collins. Her family was an established line of Quakers who ran a local printing shop. When Ellen was in her thirties, she was on the executive committee the Woman’s Central Association for Relief (WCAR); a branch of the United States Sanitary Commission that provided support to soldiers of the Union Army during the American Civil War. She also worked for the New York National Freedmen’s Association (see also Freedmen’s Bureau). This organization advocated for access to quality education for African and African American individuals in America. It was through her outstanding contributions to programs like these that Ellen Collins became widely known and highly regarded as a philanthropist and social reform activist.

Family and background

Ellen Collins was born on February 15 of 1828  to parents Sarah (Mintern) and Joseph B. Collins in Long Island, NY. Ellen was one of four children. Her siblings' names were Mary, Caroline, and Margret. The Collins family was well known for their established and successful printing business, started by Ellen’s grandfather, Isaac Collins, and run by his heirs for many generations. Ellen and her family were religiously affiliated and prominent within the Society of Friends, who were also known as Quakers. There is no documentation that Ellen was ever married or had any children. Ellen Collins passed away on July 8, 1912, at the age of 83, and was laid to rest at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY.  

Women in the American Civil War

During the Civil War era, women like Ellen Collins took charge of what would later in history be known as the Home Front while the men were away fighting. They organized and operated groups like the Woman’s Central Association for Relief, which helped gather and send resources to soldiers in the field. They gathered donations in their communities and sent out goods that would help their troops, such as food, clothes, quilts, etc. Many women maintained written correspondence with influential male relatives, asking them to donate to and support their causes. This was a very important step for the organizations to receive and maintain funds and valuable connections in their areas of influence.  

Legacy

Ellen Collins was well respected in her time, and seen as a woman of high moral character. The work she did for the Woman's Central Association for Relief and the Freedman’s Bureau was extremely impactful on the idea of what a woman’s role in society could be. She was a prevalent member of society, an executive member of a large organization, and a property holder; all of which were relatively difficult to achieve as an unmarried woman in this time period. Within the WCAR, Ellen was responsible for organizing and ensuring proper distribution of supplies, and helped keep extensive records for the program. In association with the Freedman's Bureau, Ellen inspected schools in Virginia on behalf of African American education with a woman named Josephine Shaw Lowell. She owned a few different properties in New York that she rented out to individuals that needed inclusive housing. Ellen stood for social reform and fair treatment for the citizens of America. Ellen Collins is relatively under-documented, but it is important that her legacy and ideas live on.