I. Born
A. Ida B. Wells; By any means necessary
1. July 16, 1862 in Holly Springs, Mississippi
2. Born into slavery and firstborn to James and Elizabeth Wells
a. Six months later they were free due to the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation
II. Childhood
A. Grade School
1. Wells and her siblings attended Freedman’s School (Shaw University)
a.“Our job was to go to school and learn all that we could”
2. Ida later had to drop out of school due to a sudden family tragedy
B. Tragedy Strikes
1. Her parents died of yellow fever in 1878
2. Family members decided to split her siblings up amongst the family; Ida disagreed
a. “I am the oldest of seven living children. “There’s nobody but me to look after them now”
C. Applied for a teaching position at age 16; was given a job 6 miles away in Woodstock, TN
1. Applied for a teaching position at age 16; was given a job 6 miles away
a. Changed her appearance to an “older” look.
b.Family and Friends watched the children during the week
III. Moving up
A. Moved to Memphis,TN in 1880 and found new employment at a school
B. Took teacher training courses at Frisk University and Lemoyne Institute
1. By fall 1974, Wells was able to teach city schools and was assigned to a first grade class where she taught for seven years.
IV. Marriage
A. Married Ferdinand Lee Barnett in 1895
1. Barnett was a Chicago lawyer, activist and editor.
2. Owner and founder of the first black newspaper in Chicago, the Conservator
a. Barnett sold the Conservator to Wells in 1985, she became editor and printed until 1914
B. Children (in order by birth)
1. Charles Aked Barnett (1896)
2. Herman Kohlsatt Barnett (1897)
3. Ida B. Wells Jr. (1901)
4. Alfread M. Barnett (1904)
V. Death
A. March 25, 1931 in Chicago
1. Cause of death, Uremia
2. Age 68
VI. The Beginning of the rest of her life
A. September 1883, Wells was...
