People and Happenings
Reflections on Charles Sumner upon the 200th Anniversary of His Birth
People and Happenings
The Many Sides of Sumner :
Reflections on Charles Sumner upon the 200th Anniversary of His Birth
January 6 , 1811 – March 11 , 1874
by Bree D . Harvey , Vice President of External Affairs
For most , the mention of Charles Sumner stirs recollections from high school history class and the story of Sumner ’ s attack on the floor of the U . S . Senate by a fellow senator . For others , the mention of Sumner prompts the question ,“ The person the tunnel is named after ?” In fact , the Sumner Tunnel in Boston is not named for Charles Sumner , and though his attack is part of his story , it is far from being his whole story — a story that branches out into a fascinating myriad of connections within Mount Auburn itself . Sumner is perhaps more well-known for his actions in the political arena , serving in the U . S . Senate as a representative of Massachusetts during a very critical time in the history of our nation . Beyond his role as a senator , Sumner ’ s legacy as a Boston lawyer marks an important chapter in the history of civil rights in this country . On more of a personal front , he was a significant patron of the arts and a close friend and confidant of beloved poet , Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ( Lot 580 , Indian Ridge Path ). Here are but a few examples of the web of connections that lead back to our own Charles Sumner ( Lot 2447 , Arethusa Path ).
One of Sumner ’ s most significant contributions is the work he did to further civil rights in this country . In 1849 , he teamed up with a young black attorney , Robert Morris , to sue the City of Boston on behalf of their client Benjamin Franklin Roberts . Roberts , an African American printer , brought suit against the City upon the claim that his five-year-old daughter ’ s rights were being violated by the practice of segregated schools . The courts ultimately ruled as long as the schools remained “ separate yet equal ,” there was no violation of civil rights . Sumner ’ s arguments , however , struck such a chord with the public and created a ripple effect that lasted for more than a century . Benjamin Franklin Roberts , Sumner ’ s client , is buried at Mount Auburn on Amethyst Path in the Saint John Lot , and Lemuel Shaw , the State Superior Court Justice who presided over the case , is also buried at the Cemetery in his family ’ s lot on Trefoil Path .
Sumner ’ s legacy as a patron of the arts is a lesser-known fact . While abroad in the late 1830s , he befriended the American-born sculptor , Thomas Crawford , who was then living and working in Italy . Seeing promise in the young artist , Sumner took it upon himself to champion Crawford ’ s career and encouraged the Boston Athenæum to purchase his sculpture , Orpheus . Sumner was also responsible for the
14 | Sweet Auburn
Statue of Charles Sumner in Harvard Square .
artistic success later experienced by William Wentmore Story , the son of Sumner ’ s mentor and Mount Auburn ’ s first president , Joseph Story . Though the young Story trained as a lawyer , his true interest was art , a passion that Sumner encouraged . In the 1840s when the Cemetery commissioned four American-born sculptors to each create a life-sized statue for the interior of its new chapel ( now Bigelow Chapel ), two of the sculptors selected were none other than they who credited their successes to Charles Sumner . Crawford was commissioned to sculpt the likeness of James Otis , one of the voices of the American Revolution , while Story was asked to create a statue of his father . These celebrated works were displayed at Mount Auburn until the 1930s when they were donated to Harvard University .
It is fitting for a man with so many connections and such diverse interests that a collaborative of institutions join together this year to celebrate his legacy . A series of events organized by the Charles Sumner Bicentennial Committee — the Boston African American National Historic Site , Cambridge Forum , Friends of the Longfellow House , Friends of Mount Auburn , Harvard University , Longfellow House – Washington ’ s Headquarters National Historic Site , Massachusetts Historical Society , and the Museum of African American History ( Boston and Nantucket )— explores the many different sides of Charles Sumner . Join us at First Parish Church in Harvard Square for the final event in the series :
Thursday , May 19 at 6 PM
Charles Sumner & Civil Rights . This event , part of the Cambridge Form 2011 series will include a rededication of the Sumner statue in Harvard Square followed by a discussion with Beverly Morgan-Welch , Executive Director of the Museum of African American History in Boston and Nantucket , and Daniel Coquilette , Charles Warren Visiting Professor of American Legal History at Harvard Law School . For more information about this event , call 617-495-2727 .
And , learn more about other events scheduled as part of the Charles Sumner Bicentennial celebration by visiting us online at www . mountauburn . org .