SMITH MIDDLE SCHOOL 216 Addison Road, Glastonbury, CT 06033 Dr. Thomas Russo, Principal (860)652-7040 Grades 7-8 The five Smith Sisters (for whom Smith Middle School was named after) were far ahead of their time. Born in the last two decades of the 18th century when the young United States was struggling to define the term “democracy”, the Smiths spent their entire lives challenging narrow definitions that excluded women, African-Americans, and immigrants from full citizenship. The Smiths showed courage and integrity in everything they did. They believed in equal education for women. Beginning in the 1820’s they worked to end slavery, at one point gathering over 400 signatures and an anti-slavery petition that was submitted to Congress. After the Civil War, they became active in the women’s rights movement. In the 1870’s they refused to pay taxes to the Town of Glastonbury, resounding the battle cry of the Boston Tea Party, “taxation without representation”. At one point, the Town seized their cows for payment. While the ensuing legal case worked its way up throughout the courts, and newspapers around the country published the story, Julia Smith decided to prove women were the intellectual equals of men by publishing her version of the Bible which she had translated from Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. She was the first woman in history to translate and publish the Bible. Such endeavors were commonplace among the Smiths. They believed deeply in equality and were willing to work hard to make it happen. Kathleen L. Housley - Historical Society of Glastonbury FACULTY Greg Colossale-Chorus/Theater Arts Ginger Edman-Band Patricia Lignelli-Band Steve Wood-Orchestra Steve Nystrup-Theater Arts/Music Technology Courses of Study